Our Little Corner of the World
by evenhisfacewasanalias
Summary: Diner AU. Capable is a waitress in a small town diner and Nux is part of the local biker gang, and they take turns rescuing one another and falling in love. Also there's pie.
1. Chapter 1

The Roadside Diner still looked almost exactly as it did in the 1960s. Capable hadn't really anticipated the level of kitsch when Furiosa had offered her the waitress job, but she's found she actually doesn't mind the retro feel of the place. Furiosa, however, seems to love the place and resent it in turns. But she steadfastly refuses to allow any changes to the diner, shouldering all the upkeep and repairs herself. It had belonged to her mother once, and Furiosa had meticulously restored it in memory of her. She's apparently drawn the line at wearing her mother's uniform though. Capable looks back to where Furiosa has taken over an empty booth with their accounting records, wearing boots and jeans that have seen better days, and tries to imagine her in the little teal dress and white apron the rest of the women wear. This thought nearly has her dropping a plate of eggs and bacon on a customer, shaking with silent laughter at the mental image.

Slightly dated uniforms aside, the real key to maintaining her mother's legacy has been in the running of the place. The Roadside diner has always been owned and staffed exclusively by women, and Furiosa has taken it a step further to become sort of a halfway house for women getting out of bad situations. Only Valkyrie, the woman who used to be a cross-country truck driver and now runs their small kitchen, seems to be an exception. Capable thinks she may be related to Furiosa, but she's never been sure. Furiosa seems to tolerate Valkyrie bossing her around in the way you would for family, but Valkyrie looks after all the girls at the diner. Capable's only been here a few months, but it already feels a little like family. She's even convinced Cheedo to leave their old job and come work here with her. Dag's been here a little longer, and she came with Miss Giddy, the other cook. They had escaped some sort of weird religious group, and they're both a little strange but very sweet. Toast had just shown up one day and no one other Furiosa seems to know her story, but the other girls take to her quickly. One other girl had been working here when Capable came to the diner, but she's now living with one of Vakyrie's sisters halfway across the country. She is dearly missed by all of them, but they knew enough of what had happened to her to know she's safer where she is now.

"Hey Capable, your boyfriend's here again." Cheedo teases, pulling Capable from her thoughts, and she follows the other girl's gaze to where the War Boys are entering the diner. The Roadside has always been biker-friendly, Furiosa having ridden with a group herself before buying the diner, but the gang of War Boys is not the most welcome sight. Their leader has been banned from the premises, but it doesn't stop the rest of the Boys, in their matching leather jackets and skull helmets, from showing up at least once a week. They're not all terrible, however, and Capable's 'boyfriend' - as Cheedo has taken to calling him - is surprisingly polite when he shows up alone. He usually finds himself in Capable's section, and they've exchanged some small pleasantries. But today he's with a group of them, though he looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. Some of their regular customers seem to feel the same, cashing out early to avoid the obnoxious chatter already filling the restaurant. She looks over to where Furiosa is still pouring over the accounts. Sometimes she or Valkyrie will step in and take care of the gang's tables, their presence usually enough to intimidate the Boys into behaving, but today they're both too busy doing their actual jobs. And there's only four Boys, rather than a whole gang, so the task falls to Capable. She steels herself before heading over to where they're all shoving into a booth.

"So what can I get you boys today?"

"How about you come sit in my lap while I make up my mind, yeah?" Capable rolls her eyes at the comment, though inwardly she is more than a little creeped out by his scarred grin. But she has learned the best tactic for dealing with guys like this was to show them they couldn't scare you, and carefully maintains her expression of firm indifference.

"Shut it, Slit. No one wants to look at your ugly mug anyway." The younger man across from him jumps in, glancing up at her anxiously. She's a little surprised to hear the normally polite Boy raising his voice, but trading insults seems to be the only way War Boys communicate with each other. "Slit" doesn't seem to be taking it as a joke though, and looks about ready to start a fight. She tries to bring their attention back to their order.

"How about some burgers and a slice of cherry pie? Just made fresh this morning." Capable has found that good pie can solve a lot of problems, and has also recently discovered her own skills at making them. Now she comes in early each day to bake several, and they've quickly become a local favorite. Today she just hopes it'll give the Boys something better to do than run their mouths.

"Sure sweetheart, I'd love some of your sweet cherry…" But the other boy seems to have kicked him under the table while the rest of them just laugh nastily. One of the others finally chimes in with an order for the table and she rushes to hand it off to Miss Giddy, glad to be anywhere else.

"Those boys bothering you?" Valkyrie looks ready to toss them out on their asses already, but then again she always does.

"Nothing I can't handle." She assures the woman, but then takes her sweet time getting their pie from the refrigerated display case. She considers just serving it to them cold, but professional pride won't allow her to do so.

The Boys are arguing about something as she heads back over to their table, but they clam up when she arrives. Capable figures it's nothing to do with her at least, because clearly the leader of this little pack has no problems voicing his thoughts on her. But they dig into their food, and the argument seems to be dropped for now.

The Boys actually manage to stay pretty quiet the rest of their meal, much to everyone's relief. Capable decides to enjoy this unexpected moment of peace to sneak in the back room where she can hear Toast and Dag chatting. Their shift ended a couple hours ago, but it's not unusual for any of the girls to hang around small room in their free time. The space should have been Furiosa's office, but she prefers to work out of one of the booths and keep an eye out on her restaurant. Her mother's desk has been moved to her own house, and now the room holds a small table and a couch. The girls are at the table now, having wheedled a free dinner out of Miss Giddy (or possibly had one pushed on them by Valkyrie). They've also apparently taken down one of Capable's sour cherry pies between them. At least she knows where it went now. Capable starts to give them the highlights of today's scene with the War Boys, knowing she'll need to return to their table soon, but Toast is already heading into one of her rants.

"I just don't get it, those guys practically worship that gross old man. It's like a cult or something," She continues. "No offense, Dag."

Dag just shrugs her shoulders. They're mostly all at the point where they've started to make jokes about their pasts. And the fact is the War Boys really are a sort of cult. They all work at Joe's repair shop and seem to do his bidding when they're not out bothering waitresses. Capable has no idea why a bunch of kids would follow the man, though. Joe was once the leader of some infamous biker gang, but now he just owns the local bike shop and can't go anywhere without his respirator. He's not exactly the sort of man that could inspire people to shave their heads and follow his orders. She supposes most of the gang don't have families, and just sort of latched on to the first guy to give them a sense of belonging and purpose. She's pretty sure that's how most cults start.

With this Capable thinks she's probably been back here a little too long by now and goes out to check on her tables. Most of them just need a top up on their drinks, and one couple wants something boxed up, but the War Boys have already wolfed down their food and look thankfully ready to leave. She takes care of the drinks and heads over with their check.

With a forced "whenever you're ready" she drops their tab on the table and turns to leave. But the asshole from before is reaching out to grab her ass, and she swerves around to tell him just where he can put his hands (she'd like to see them run over by his own bike), only to see the other boy slamming his fist into the asshole's face. There's a sickening crack of something breaking, even louder in the sudden silence that overtakes the room.

"You bastard!" The older Boy wheezes, jumping out of his seat with one hand clutching his bloodied nose and the other rearing back to retaliate.

"Get out. All of you." Furiosa is suddenly at the table, her voice steady but all the more threatening for its controlled rage. Furiosa is not above dragging them out herself, and there are stories of her doing worse to men who harass her staff. The Boys are quick to obey her orders though, dropping bills on the table as they leave. It's more than enough to cover their bill - the Roadhouse diner is one of the few places to eat in their very small town and even the War Boys are careful not to wear out their welcome.

After a several long minutes they finally hear several bikes pulling out of the lot out back. The diner remains still frozen in silence until the sounds of their engines fade off in the distance, and then gives way to hushed gossip. Capable supposes it's to be expected, when so little ever happens in this town. They're not even that far from the city, but somehow this place still feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. And it's times like these, with each of her tables taking her gently aside to ask if she's alright, that she both loves and hates this place. She hates being coddled, but appreciates that these people care. She never had any of that at her old job in the city.

But, however much they might care about her, she knows they'll all be heading home to tell their neighbors some wild version of what happened in the diner today. So she brushes off their concern and tries to change the subject, hoping that at least she won't be that "poor little red-haired waitress" in their retellings. Care she can handle, pity she can't stand.

* * *

Furiosa doesn't let her off work early, knows she doesn't need to go home and cry over one rude customer or someone else's fight. She also knows that she's better off here, surrounded by friends, than alone in her apartment thinking about all the different ways things could have gone today. Capable's suspects that Furiosa may have also wanted her to stay for her own peace of mind. She's much tougher now than when she first came here, but she also better understands the feeling of worrying about people other than yourself. She doubts she'll ever get Furiosa to admit to worrying about anything.

They're finally finishing up for the night and Capable manages to shoo the rest of them out the door, continuing to close up as scheduled. The others have tried to sneakily take care of her duties for her, but she goes over everything again so she can pretend this is just a normal night. But eventually all that's really left to do is take out the trash and lock up. She manages to maneuver the bags so she can awkwardly carry them all at once, but gives up quickly when faced with the kitchen's door. The bags end up propped outside while she locks the door behind her.

As she hears the lock click in place, a groan comes from the other side of the nearby dumpster. Capable is immediately on alert, her fingers reaching for the pepper spray on her keychain. She notices there's still a motorcycle on its side in the parking lot, and it's not Furiosa's. She moves to hold the small canister in front of her - if that War Boy is back, she is going to make sure he regrets it. She steps back further into the lot so she can see the entire back of the diner, and make a fast getaway if she needs to. But she's not prepared for the sight that greets her. It's not the asshole from before, but the Boy who hit him. He's crumpled up on the ground, clearly beaten and bloodied. He must have been here for hours! No longer worried for herself, she rushes to his side. He's conscious, but just barely. There's dried blood running all over the bottom half of his face, and she has no idea what injuries are hidden under his clothes. She reaches out a careful hand to hover near his bruised cheek, unsure why she made the gesture. She draws it back to pull out her phone.

"It's going to be ok, I'm going to call an ambulance and get you to the hospital. You're going to be fine." She's rambling, trying to reassure herself as much as him.

"No hospitals." The boy grits out.

"You need a doctor."

"Please." She freezes where she was poised to run inside to the phone. He sounds so broken, she immediately crouches to reach for him again.

"What can I do? You're bleeding out…"

"Not anymore, just need to sleep it off."

"Can I call someone to take you home?"

"Haven't got one."

"A home? Or someone to call for you?"

"Either." Capable feels like all the air has gone out of her lungs. The familiar feeling of his words only amplifies reaction they invoke. Which may explain why her next idea is so utterly foolish.

"Can you walk at all? I don't have a car, but my apartment is only a short walk from here."

"I think…yeah."

Reasonably, she should take him back into the diner and help him get cleaned up, then put him on the couch to sleep for the night. But there's nothing in the diner's first aid kit except tampons and advil, and she has actual supplies back at her place. Which is why she's now helping him slowly up, draping an arm over her shoulder and her own around his waist.

* * *

It really is a short walk normally, but at their pace it seems as though it takes an eternity before they limp into her apartment. She leads him to sit on her couch while she grabs some wet washcloths and her kit.

She knows she should start by cataloguing his injuries, but he looks completely worn out so she starts with just cleaning him up a little. He winces slightly as the cool cloth dabs at his face, but at least he doesn't have to move. It's several minutes before the blood starts to come off his nose and chin, leaving the skin below stained pink. Most of the bleeding seems to have some from his nose and a split lip, but his skull is littered in bruises. She worries about a concussion, but he doesn't appear confused or ill. There's not much she can do about it either way. Or for the black eye that's just going to get worse before it gets better. She runs her fingers gently around the edges of the bruise that's beginning to form there.

"Nux."

"Hmm?" The word doesn't make any sense, maybe he does have a concussion…

"My name. It's Nux."

"Oh - I'm Capable."

"I know." He looks down to where she still wears her nametag, a pained smile on his face. She smiles back, the absurdity of the whole situation starting to catch up with her. But she forces herself back into professional mode.

Attempts to remove his shirt and look for further injury prove disastrous. His wrist is certainly sprained, if not broken, and his ribs aren't in much better shape. He's not in any danger of puncturing a lung at least, so she wraps his wrist and brings him some painkillers to make it easier to breath. Finally she dabs some antibiotic cream on all the visible cuts, including his shredded knuckles. She thinks that some of that may have happened when he stood up for her, and feels suddenly guilty.

"I'm sorry if this happened because of me." She can't quite look at his face when she says this.

"It's not you. This was a long time coming. Not really much of a War Boy, I guess." He shrugs, and immediately seems to regret the gesture when it stretches his ribs uncomfortably.

"I think maybe that's a good thing, then." She smiles reassuringly, trying to convey how very glad she is that he's not like the others. But it's his turn to look away, not quite ready to hear this, but still a little comforted that one person doesn't think he's a fuck-up.

Capable realizes this is the most they've ever spoken before, but he's still so exhausted and she doesn't push for more. Just encourages him to lie back on her couch so he can rest. He's stuck in his leather jacket and pants, but she carefully removes his boots and drapes a light blanket over him.

She knows it's completely crazy to let a strange man stay in her house, but he's not a stranger, not really. And right now he can barely move, let alone hurt anyone. Besides, she'll be in a separate room behind a very sturdy lock, and there's nothing in her place worth stealing - not even so much as a crappy tv. Convinced that her plan is completely sane and in no way based on Nux's puppy dog eyes, she says her goodnights and heads to her own bed. Right before she's out of earshot she hears a softly uttered "thank you".


	2. Chapter 2

The events of the previous twenty-four hours came back slowly to Capable upon waking. As such, she is halfway to her kitchen for coffee when she remembers Nux sleeping on her couch. Well, not so much remembers as nearly shrieks at the sight of him there until she recalls the previous night. Her half-awake brain is torn between berating her for her impulsive decision and feeling validated that it had all turned out for the best. Clearly the poor boy was better off here, bandaged up and resting on her couch, than spending the night passed out behind the diner. She tries not to think about what would have happened if she hadn't found him there, and ducks into her small kitchen to start the coffee.

Capable prefers having the morning shift at the diner, but she doesn't love going from closing one day to the early shift the next. And today she needs to be in even earlier to bake before everyone else arrives, which means waking up while it's still dark out. But despite the ungodly hour, she likes having the time to herself before they open. She knew Furiosa'd give her nothing but morning shifts if she asked, but she doesn't want to stick the others with closing all the time. She just needs some caffeine to face the day.

After her first cup she finally feels ready to deal with the question of what to do with Nux. She almost considers calling in sick to take care of him, but one of the girls would inevitably come by to check on her, and she isn't yet ready to explain his presence to them. Or to Furiosa. He'd just have to stay here while she worked, and she glances around again to remind herself she is in no danger with leaving him alone here. Her apartment is tiny, and there isn't much trouble he could get into here. She inspects the contents of her fridge to see if there is any actual food in it - there are some decent-looking leftovers at least. With that resolved, she starts on some toast and two more cups of coffee.

Her waitressing skills come in handy juggling a plate of toast, a cup of coffee, a cup of water, and a bottle of painkillers on her way over to the couch. Nux looks a little better on her couch than he had in the alleyway, though his bruised eye has turned a deep purple during the night. His lip is already beginning to heal, but the cuts across his eyebrow and the bridge of his nose will linger, though thankfully they had not required stitching. His breathing is shallow but even, and she hopes his ribs aren't too badly hurt. She nudges him awake gently, helping him take a few painkillers before she explains that she needs to go to work now. He tries to get up to leave at this, but she carefully pushes him back to lie down.

"You can rest here while I'm at work. There's toast and coffee here for you now and some take out in the fridge if you're up to eating later." Nux still looks confused, and also a little like he might try to leave again. Capable tries to use the tone that Valkyrie does when she's trying to get the girls to do what she thinks is best for them. "I'll be back around dinner, and I expect to see you right here where I left you. But if you need anything I'll write down the number for the diner and I'm just a short walk away."

Nux's eyes have gone a little wide at being told to stay here, but he nods carefully in response. She heads back to her small room to change into her uniform, and by the time she exits Nux has already fallen back asleep, toast half-nibbled and coffee untouched. She doesn't really expect him to stay here all day, but she's glad he's safely resting for now at least.

* * *

This might be her favorite part of the day. Capable loves the girls and everyone else at the diner, but she will admit she also enjoys the brief moments of quiet before they all come in. When the kitchen is just her's to make whatever she dreams up. This morning, strange as it was, had inspired her to make something a little different. It's a spin on the classic apple pie, with cranberries in place of all the sugar, and runny brie baked on top underneath the crust. She's amazed to even find the brie in their fridge, it's not in any of their menu items - but then, neither are the beers that sit beside it. She's not one to question inspiration.

She sets to work cubing the butter herself, but lets their food processor take care of mixing the crust. It's the only piece of equipment in their kitchen that's truly new, and she's grateful for the addition. Within a short amount of time she's rolling out four crusts into mismatched tins. These go into the oven while she sets to work on all of the fillings. By the time she's done she's added two regular apple pies alongside her apples and brie pie to bake, and a chocolate nutella pie sits in the fridge.

Her latest creation smells heavenly as it comes out of the oven, though she's not sure whether the diner's customers will go for it. They tend to prefer the more traditional pies, but some of them have been more willing to try new things as her reputation has grown. She figures if nothing else the other women here will enjoy it.

Miss Giddy comes in to take over the kitchen just as Capable is writing up today's pies on the chalkboard. Furiosa is already back at her work booth, but she can see the board and raises and eyebrow at what's listed. Capable just grins at her in return until Miss Giddy steps out of the kitchen to join them.

"Is there any reason why the trash is sitting out on the back step?"

Capable realizes she completely forgot about leaving it there. She can't tell either of them what really happened, and she's not usually one to neglect her work and so she needs a plausible excuse.

"Oh, that's my fault. I guess I got a little spooked out in the lot by myself last night." It's believable enough, though she hates having to bring up yesterday. It feels even more manipulative than a regular lie. At least they seem to be accepting it.

"Well it looks like one of the boys abandoned his bike in the lot, so no wonder you got spooked." Miss Giddy adds. Capable had also forgotten the bike still laying out there. She reminds herself she's had more pressing things to deal with.

"I'll have it towed out this morning." It's as close as Furiosa will come to indulging her worries, but it brings up a new set of problems.

"I'm sure its owner will come get it soon, and anyway there's only one place in town with a tow truck anymore." It's left unsaid that the one tow truck belongs to Joe's shop. There used to be three repair places in their little town, but one had long been run out of business and the Miller's old place was just barely hanging on. And even if Mr. Miller had a tow truck, he didn't take motorcycles. Capable knew Furiosa wouldn't call Joe's shop for anything - would rather fix her own bike by herself than take it to his shop. And she is thankful for this for many reasons, not least of which because if Nux's bike gets towed over there he'd probably never see it again. From his words last night she is pretty sure he was kicked out of the gang, and the toppled bike out back pretty much confirms it for her. She just needs to keep Furiosa from bothering with it until Nux was well enough.

* * *

Officer Rockatansky comes in shortly after and takes his usual spot at the counter. He's there almost every morning, and none of the girls have missed the fact that Furiosa's booth seems to always been in his line of sight. They all jokingly bring this up to Furiosa in turns, but only Toast is brave enough to tease the man himself about it. She never gets a response though, he just continues drinking his coffee, long past being embarrassed by her insinuations.

To be fair, Rockatansky is reserved even under the best circumstances. Capable actually likes that about him. He's always polite but never drags them into long conversations like some of their chattier regulars. The only time she's ever heard him speak more than a few words was when he told off some guy for harassing Dag. It says a lot that Furiosa lets him do this, feels comfortable having him watch out for her girls. Capable is no damsel in distress, but it's nice having a cop on their side. The other girls feel much the same. Plus, he always leaves a generous tip for his free coffee each morning, which earns him even more points with the waitresses.

This morning Capable brings him his coffee along with a slice of her pie, "on the house". Rockatansky is always willing to be her guinea pig for new pies, though he never offers much feedback. She figures it's compliment enough that he finishes off every piece she sets in front of him. She also suspects Furiosa is a little more than simply tolerant of his presence, given that she always seems to turn a blind eye to all the free food they sneak him.

"Heard the War Boys gave you some trouble yesterday." Capable is a little surprised by his words, this being the first time the man has ever initiated a conversation with her - though its not the first time they've talked. She wonders where he heard about yesterday, but realizes it could have been anyone the way gossip spreads in this town.

"It was nothing big, really. You know how people here like to turn everything into some big event."

He nods, knowing full well the tendency of the townspeople to exaggerate. "Not Furiosa, though."

"Furiosa told you about yesterday?"

"Mmm."

Capable's surprised by this piece of news. Furiosa isn't one for gossiping, though she supposes it makes sense to alert local law enforcement of any altercations. And Officer Rockatansky is a friend, more or less. The one part she can't figure out is when Furiosa would have told him, since she's been deep in paperwork all morning and Capable hasn't seen her leave her booth. She tells Toast about this after he leaves, and the other girl is quick to come up with a variety of theories - most of which hinge on the fact that he came into the dinner only a few minutes after Furiosa herself arrived.

* * *

Capable is pleasantly surprised to have several requests for her new pie, and decides to take the last of it home to try for herself. She knows that Nux probably left her apartment the minute he woke up, but she wraps up two pieces anyway. If any of the other girls are surprised to see her leave directly at the end of her shift, they don't say anything.

She tells herself she's not disappointed when she comes home to find an empty couch. She hadn't really expected him to stick around, though she just wishes she knew where he went. He didn't seem to have anywhere else to go, and she worries he's just wandering around with his injures. A small sound from the kitchen brings her attention back to the room in front of her, where she notices his boots are still propped up by the couch right where she left them.

A quick peek into the kitchen reveals the reason for the noise, as well as the empty couch. Nux is standing a little shakily in front of her stove, still unaware of her presence. She takes the opportunity to really look at him. He's finally gotten his leather jacket off, and he looks so much younger in just his jeans and a white tee. He's apparently washed the rest of the blood off his face, but it still stains his collar. His socked feet just add to how completely nonthreatening he seems standing there in front of her. He almost looks kind of cute. But the real surprise is that he's managed to haul out several of her pots and appears to be cooking something. She moves further into the kitchen to see what he's making, startling the poor boy in the process.

"Sorry, sorry. I meant to have this cleaned up and ready when you got home…" Nux rambles, and Capable finally notices that the small table has been set for both of them.

"You made dinner?"

"I just thought, since you…Is it ok? I made spaghetti."

"It's perfect," she smiles. "It's a very nice surprise."

Nux grins, and goes back to stirring what she can now see is pasta sauce. She heads to her room to change while he finishes, feeling strangely giddy. She catches herself spending more than a reasonable amount of time deciding what to wear, and forces herself to settle on a pair of shorts and the first t-shirt she grabs. She reminds herself this isn't a date, or anything even resembling a date - it's just a polite gesture by a grateful houseguest. But she can't deny feeling a wonderful kind of nervous when she re-enters the kitchen, just as Nux is finished putting pasta on their plates. He makes a false start towards her chair like he means to help her into it, but she's already seated and so he just awkwardly settles into his own chair.

"Thank you for making dinner, Nux. No one's made me a home-cooked dinner in a long time."

"It's nothing," he shrugs. "I can only make this and grilled cheese. I just wanted do something useful for you. For helping me."

Capable is still trying to find the words to tell him he doesn't have to do anything for her, while Nux is already digging into his own plate with gusto. Instead she decides to simply shows her appreciation for his gesture by starting in on her own plate. The spaghetti isn't anything fancy, clearly made with the jar of marinara sauce she keeps in the fridge and whatever vegetables were in there with it, but it's surprisingly nice. She can remember ever actually having a boyfriend willing to cook for her - not that Nux is a boyfriend. It's strangely intimate. Though mostly it just feels cozy. She's only been in this apartment for a few months, and she spends most of her time at the diner, but tonight it actually feels a little more like home.

* * *

Afterwards, she heats up the slices of pie for dessert. Nux doesn't even ask what kind it is, just accepts it and tucks in. It reminds her a little of Officer Rockatansky, but Nux's enjoyment is immediately obvious by the expression on his face.

"You made this?"

"Yeah, I make all the pies at the diner." She realizes that Nux may have never actually had any of her pie before yesterday's disaster.

"You should make all the food." He's grinning in between bites of pie, and his praise makes her smile in turn. It's definitely an exaggeration, though somehow it seems sincere coming from him in a way it never does with others.

"I can't really cook much else, I'm really only good at baking. But I thought maybe one day I'd buy the old tea shop downstairs and turn it into a bakery or something." She hasn't really talked about it much, but Mrs. Green, the landlady, has already promised to rent her the space when she can afford it. She hasn't even told Furiosa yet but she finds herself telling him all of this.

"And you'll make pies like this all day?"

"Pretty much, but that won't happen for a while. I don't make that much waitressing so it'll be a few years before I save up." Nux still looks so amazed at her, and she allows herself to feel a little pride over her skills and her dreams rather than just thinking of how far off it all is. "How about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, what do you want to do one day?"

He shrugs, no longer looking quite as excited. He finishes his pie before answering. "I'm not really good at much, other than fixing mechanical things up all chrome. But I can't go back to work at Joe's now. Or do much of anything busted up like this."

"Well you can stay here for now, at least until you get better. The maybe we can find you a job somewhere else?"

He shrugs again, but his shoulders seem a little less heavy now that she's told him he can stay. "It's really alright?"

"It really is. I'm glad you stayed today."

His grin returns and he stands to help her clean the dishes. His sprained wrist gives him a little trouble, but he refuses when she offers to take care of them herself, and they continue in companionable silence. It's a pleasant end to a very nice evening. She tucks him back into the couch shortly after, and thinks she might be able to get used to this.


	3. Chapter 3

Capable has figured out that Nux won't take any painkillers without being told to, so today she leaves him with explicit instructions to take a couple more around noon. He doesn't complain but she knows he's still in a fair amount of pain with all of his injuries. Capable suspects Nux isn't used to letting anyone else take care of him, for all he'll never ask for help. She hopes that with explicit instructions to take care of himself, he'll at least spend another day resting while she's gone - his wrist and ribs are going to take a while to heal. After their talk last night she actually lets herself expect him to stay this time. She smiles at the thought of having someone to come home to, even if the circumstances are a little unusual.

She realizes as she starts in on the day's desserts that she's planning what to make in anticipation of bringing home a slice for Nux. But she has no idea what he'd even like. She can't recall him ever ordering a dessert, though he seemed to like the pie she made before well enough. Capable does remember him getting a hot chocolate once, at least, and settles on a chocolate ganache tart topped with raspberries. She also adds a rhubarb custard pie to the menu and makes two of each. She can always bring home a slice of both pies and find out what he likes best. But she's already spent way too much time thinking about this and so she tries to force Nux mostly from her mind and get back to work.

* * *

Today, the Roadside diner seems to be filled with a dozen small crises. Most notably, the jukebox mishap and the uninvited lizard. The jukebox mishap occurs when some kids kick the machine trying to get it to play something else, and it ends up stuck on Patsy Cline's greatest hits. Not that anybody minds Patsy Cline, but it's giving the whole diner a very melancholy vibe as it cycles throughout her shift. Miss Giddy sings along in the kitchen, so there's no escaping the music. Capable even catches Furiosa humming along for a few moments before she catches herself and grimaces.

But a surprisingly quick lizard brings them all out of this wistful mood. It sneaks in during the post-lunch lull just as one of their customers is exiting, and it skitters wildly across the floor alarming the remaining diners. It heads towards poor little Benny, who doesn't seem to realize that it's just a lizard and not some dangerous animal, and he starts screaming until it turns to find another route. They worry it might head into the kitchen next. And Furiosa is all set to stomp on it when Dag scoops it up and shields it protectively.

"Don't worry little guy, you're safe. Now, let's go find your home…" And with that she's wandering out the door to find the best place to leave a lizard. Or possible she's already naming it and planning to take it home, it's hard to tell with her. Dag seems to fall in love with every animal, even the gross ones, and she's probably about the only vegetarian in town. But she cares equally for her human friends, and Capable doesn't think she's ever met a sweeter girl. With her pale features it's hard not to think of her as almost being ethereal. It's sometimes surprising how well she gets along with Toast, who is in many ways her opposite as far as their personalities go. Capable supposes they're all an odd bunch, though what they have in common seems to outweigh any differences in disposition. It's not really so strange that they've all gravitated to one another after all they've been through. She finds herself feeling the familiar gratitude towards Furiosa for bringing her here and giving her this family, and places an affectionate hand on Furiosa's shoulder as she walks past.

* * *

After putting out a small kitchen fire and dealing with several obnoxious customers, Capable doesn't even feel guilty leaving out immediately after her shift again. She's sorry to miss Cheedo and Toast, but she'll check in with them tomorrow. Right now she's torn between worrying how Nux is doing without her - and whether he actually took his medicine - and feeling a little giddy at seeing him again.

Her couch is once again empty, and Nux waits in the small kitchen with two plates of grilled cheese. He's much less jumpy this time, and looks like he's feeling the same giddiness she was on her her way home. Eating dinner with him already feels pleasantly familiar after just two days, and she tries not to let herself overthink it.

Nux takes down both the chocolate tart and rhubarb custard with equal enthusiasm, so there's no figuring out what he likes other than anything sweet. She even slides him the rest of her own dessert at the sad look on his face when he finishes his own. Those puppy dog eyes will probably be a lot of trouble in the future. The black eye just invites even more sympathy.

"Are you feeling any better today?"

"I'll live." He grins, letting her know he really does feel ok.

"If your ribs aren't bothering you as much, maybe I can find you something to change into and you can take a shower?"

It takes a little more convincing for him to leave the dishes to her this time, but she gets him into her small bathroom and carefully unwraps his wrist before adjusting the water. He's already reaching to pull off his shirt as she's leaving, though she waits outside the door for a few more moments until she hears the sound of the shower curtains opening and closing, wanting to make sure he doesn't need any more help.

Capable heads to her room to change out of her uniform before finding something for him. Her wardrobe is rather small, and definitely not filled with men's clothing, but she manages some flannel sleep pants that are way too long on her and an oversized gray hoodie. It's better than a blood-spattered tee at least, and it's only for tonight. Tomorrow she has the second shift and can run to the laundromat in the morning. She folds up the clothing and grabs a spare towel as well on her way back to the bathroom.

The door isn't locked, so she allows herself in to set the items on the sink and grab up his discarded clothing. She justifies gazing at Nux's silhouette behind the curtains as just making sure he hasn't collapsed or anything. Once assured he's upright, she can't help observing the long lines of him, even though he's mostly obscured from view. Realizing that she's definitely been in here longer than can be excused by checking on him, she hastily exits to distract herself with the dishes.

Her hands are still immersed in the sink by the time she hears the water shut off. She dries her hands but its a few more minutes before Nux finally emerges. The first thing that draws her attention is how much better he looks - his skin looks pink and healthy, and he no longer looks so worn out. He just looks relaxed and sleepy, and oddly cuddly in her pajamas. The long pants are still too short on him, but the effect is less ridiculous and simply draws attention to his height. He's rolled up the sleeves of the hoodie so it's less obvious that it doesn't quite fit either. The whole picture is rather cozy.

She leads him over to the couch where she can re-wrap his wrist. She's as delicate as she's always been in her care of him, but she finds herself lingering on his exposed forearm a little more this evening. Seated like this, her eyes are level with his chest and she notices something peeking out from beneath where he hasn't quite zipped up the hoodie all the way. It almost looks like a bruise above his ribs, and she reaches for his zipper to tug it down the rest of the way. Nux lets out a surprised breath at her actions but allows her to uncover his chest. It's not a bruise, but a tattoo. A rather massive one.

"It's a V8 engine block. I earned it on account of being such a black thumb." He smiles in pride as he tells her this.

She finds herself unconsciously running her fingers along the design. It's incredibly intricate, she assumes accurate as well, and would have taken many sessions. She imagines he wouldn't have complained about any pain then either, despite the fact that this clearly had to hurt a great deal. She pulls the fabric aside aside to see the whole design, and notices more ink on his shoulder. Two crudely drawn smiley faces sit atop badly gnarled and scarred skin.

"My bike spun out one time and the curb nearly shredded my shoulder. Larry and Barry here were nearly the end of me. Can't feel much there now."

Capable is now tracing near his scars, where it looks as though someone has hacked away at the skin where his neck meets his shoulder. It still looks incredibly painful, but he makes no reaction as she traces gentle fingers across the faces there.

"You really can't feel this?"

"Not really, it's mostly scar tissue there now. Doesn't hurt at all."

She's suddenly hit with the urge to bundle Nux up in her arms and never let him out of her sight again. She's facing the evidence of so many hurts throughout his life, and she just wants to keep him safe. Well, maybe not just that. She's moved more closely to Nux to look at his shoulder, and now, as she glances up, she realizes their faces are only inches apart. It wouldn't take much to bridge the distance between them, to reach over and place a soothing kiss to each of his scrapes and bruises - his eyebrow, his cheek, his lips. Nux has stilled beside her, watching her face intently. He looks as though he is simply waiting for her. She carefully closes the distance between them.

In the end she only manages a soft kiss to his brow before a knock at the door interrupts them. She glances back at Nux, who looks a little dumbfounded at the moment, before tearing herself away to check the door. A quick look through the peephole reveals it's Cheedo, who's still knocking and now impatiently announcing herself through the door.

"It's Saturday and you promised to help me get ready for my date!"

Capable realizes she has completely forgotten what day it is. She considers telling Cheedo she can't help tonight, and just going back to where Nux is still waiting patiently on the couch, but knows she couldn't really do that her. She's trying to be supportive of her friend. Cheedo is the first among them to give dating, and men in general, another chance. Her dates so far haven't been very successful - but they're the normal kind of bad that you laugh about with your friends the next morning. She still gets nervous each time she meets a new guy though, and Capable can't leave her to panic over getting ready alone.

Cheedo swoops in with her duffle bag the moment she unlocks the door, and immediately her gaze turns to Nux. Who still hasn't zipped up his hoodie.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Nope." Capable can hear herself awkwardly popping the 'p' as she answers too quickly. "Cheedo, this is Nux. He's just borrowing a shirt because his got ruined."

"I'll bet it did. But Capable, a War Boy? Really?"

"This isn't…He's not a War Boy anymore."

"Well at least he's smarter than the rest of them. And hey, he's a guy, right?"

"Yes…" Nux looks like he can't quite figure out why he's being asked this, and yet worried all the same.

"Good, maybe having a man's perspective will help. Grant's supposed to pick me up at the diner in an hour." Cheedo might be willing to risk a date, but she's not giving out her home address right away.

"Grant from the diner? The one who's always working on his sci-fi novel?" Capable is a little surprised by this, Cheedo doesn't normally go for the nerdy type.

"He's sweet! Besides, I'm trying something new. Which is why I might need to look through your closet. Let me show you what I have now."

Capable steps aside to allow Cheedo into her room so she can change. She looks over at Nux, who still looks lost but at least remembers to zip his shirt while they wait for her. When Cheedo steps out, she's wearing a printed minidress and some incredibly painful looking platform stilettos.

"I think you might give that poor boy a heart attack. Even I'm a little afraid of those heels."

Cheedo pouts at Capable's assessment, and turns her attention to the boy beside her. "Nux, what do you think of these shoes?"

The boy looks deeply uncomfortable with this line of questioning."Um…they're very shiny."

"Well I'm not about to wear Capable's combat boots," she huffs, "but I'll tone it down a little I guess."

When she returns from changing again she's wearing her tennis shoes from work, a denim skirt from Capable's closet, and her own red tank top, which Capable comments might be a little too casual. Two more failed attempts are made. Cheedo actually puts on Capable's boots with her minidress, but the outfit is more appropriate to a biker bar than a movie date. The second involves the scary platforms again, albeit it with a tamer outfit, but Capable still doesn't think it's quite right. The girls continue debating the options while Nux does his best to stay out of the conversation entirely.

"Alright, how about you go in there and we'll see what you'd pick. I'll just sit here with Nux and you can be the dress up doll."

She's a little worried about leaving Nux alone with Cheedo and her teasing remarks, but she doesn't want to argue this too. Besides, this is supposed to be fun. She can take one turn playing dress up, and heads into her room to inspect her choices.

Capable hadn't really considered what to wear for a date in a very long time. Looking at her closet, most of her wardrobe consists of jeans, tshirts, and spare uniforms. Cheedo was currently wearing her only skirt, so that's out. Perhaps…

Capable reaches to the top of her closet for an as-yet-unopened pale pink box. Her elderly landlady, Mrs. Green, had been storing her old wardrobe in the apartment before Capable had moved in, and had left several boxes with her "just in case she had use for them". Most of the items were well-cared for, if dowdy, suits and hats - appropriate for an old woman running a tea room, but not exactly date material. But she remembers the pink box up top holding something a little different.

Swathed in many layers of tissue paper is an airy lavender dress, probably left over from the 1950s. It might have been Mrs. Green's prom dress for all the tulle flaring out over the wide skirt. But the sweetheart neckline and halter straps keep her looking like a giant purple cupcake as she tries it on. It's actually quite nice, and she finds herself twirling the skirts out in front of her mirror. She imagines herself at some cheesy "Under the Sea" themed prom, with Cheedo and the other girls all in matching pastels (and oh isn't the idea of Toast in pastels hilarious in itself). Furiosa and Valkyrie are also there to make sure none of the boys get too handsy, stuck chaperoning as usual. Nux, of course, looks like James Dean without the hair. And ok, where did that come from? She tries to shoo away the mental image of Nux in his ridiculous leather jacket leading her around dance floor while crepe paper sea creatures watch from the ceiling. She laughs a little at her own silliness, and slides on the matching lavender pumps so can go out and have Cheedo and Nux laugh with her.

But neither of them are laughing when they see her. Cheedo smiles a little dreamily at her appearance, but Nux looks completely awestruck. Thoughts of him asking her to dance come unbidden back into her mind.

"Well it might be a little fancy for going to the movies," Cheedo interrupts her thoughts, "but I'm definitely stealing those pumps from you."

Capable thoughtlessly slips them off, still pondering the look on Nux's face while Cheedo grabs them up to try on another potential outfit. This leaves her once again alone with Nux, who is still just staring at her without saying a word. She tugs at her skirt and tries to break the silence.

"So, how do I look?"

"Glory be, you look lovely." The praise comes out as a forced exhale, painfully sincere, like he hadn't really meant to say it. Maybe the thought of him asking her to dance isn't so silly after all. And maybe the idea of going on a date is no longer such a remote possibility. But Cheedo once again interrupts this line of thinking, entering the room in the lavender pumps, Capable's skirt, and a cute sweater that shows off her cleavage but won't give Grant the wrong idea. She does a little twirl and looks to Capable and Nux with the question implied.

"I think we've found our winner."


	4. Chapter 4

Capable spends the next hour helping Cheedo with her hair and makeup while carefully deflecting any questions about Nux. The boy in question elects to remain out in the living room while they work - professing that he doesn't want to get in their way, but more likely not wanting to be asked anymore for his opinion. Cheedo certainly notices that he isn't just leaving altogether, though Capable keeps dragging her attention back to the topic of Grant or lipstick choices. She also manages to slip in a few questions to make sure nothing about the man is raising any red flags, which Cheedo both notices and appreciates.

By the time Cheedo is on her way to meet her date and Capable is back in her pajamas, Nux is barely fighting off sleep on the couch. He drowsily shifts to make room for her, curling around where she settles in by his side. Apparently during Cheedo's private talk with Nux she had mentioned seeing his motorcycle at the Roadside diner. After she leaves he asks Capable if they can go look at it, see how badly the other Boys damaged it. Capable experiences a brief moment of panic, thinking Nux is considering leaving again - until she reminds herself that he asked if *they* could go see it. Nux is perfectly able to get over to the lot on his own, but he had asked her to go with him. He had used the word 'we' without a second thought. She assured him they could go check on it before her shift, thoroughly enjoying her own use of the pronoun. Nux smiles in response, and finally allows himself to drift off. Capable places another soft kiss on his forehead before returning to her own bed.

* * *

Capable finds herself waking before dawn, even though she is not expected at work until the evening shift. She tries to fall back asleep, but thoughts of the upcoming day keep her from dozing back off. She's not quite sure how bringing Nux to the diner will play out. Cheedo seemed to accept his presence pretty readily, even without much explanation. But Cheedo is not Furiosa - or Toast, or Valkyrie, or even Miss Giddy. They'll want an explanation, and she's not sure she can give one. How can she explain taking in a former War Boy, or what he is to her? She's not even sure of the answer herself.

Nux is still curled up on the couch when she leaves her room. He's still in the exact position she left in him in, and she settles into the space he leaves for her once again. It feels as though they both naturally make room for the other, as if they've always done it, even though she knows it's only been a short time. She quietly watches him for a few moments, noting that he's breathing more deeply than he has the past several nights. Capable is thankful that his ribs seem to be bothering him less, even if his face is still testament to the damage he sustained in the fight. She brushes careful fingers across where his brow is still healing, thinking it seems likely he'll be left with a permanent scar there. It lends his soft face a roughish look that's completely at odds with his character. At least what she's seen of it so far.

She decides to let Nux sleep in a little this morning, quietly slipping away to settle her thoughts with a long bath. Despite the small size of her apartment, it does contain a full-size tub at least, which she takes full advantage of every change she gets. She's found submerging herself in near-scalding water is the best way to unwind from a stressful day. Or prepare herself for one. This morning she relaxes into the steaming water and allows her mind to drift. She's not sure what Nux is to her just yet, but she knows he's quickly come to mean more to her than their short time together would normally suggest. When she first found him outside the diner, she recognized so much of her own vulnerability in him, that he feels more familiar to her than most people. And there is something so innocent and unguarded about his demeanor that made her feel as though she already knows everything important about him. She has seen him at his weakest, completely defenseless and dependent on her mercy. He had allowed her to take care of him, and he in turn had taken care of her. He wasn't the first man who had wanted to help her, but Nux was so different from those who had come before. Those other men had wanted to possess her, keep her safe like some fragile doll. Even Officer Rockatansky feels honor-bound to protect her, and she could never imagine him allowing the same from her. Nux has never treated her like something helpless. He simply supports her - he is willing to stand up for her, of course, but he is equally willing to make dinner, help with the dishes, or even just listen to her talk about her day or her dreams for the future. It's more than any man has ever offered her.

Physically, she feels safe with him in a way she hasn't in a long time. In part it is because he is so helpless now, but even before this he had never seemed particularly dangerous to her. His polite manners more than made up for his shaved head and motorcycle gear, and even his impressive height seemed always hidden beneath his slouching posture. Now that she's seen the lean muscle hidden beneath his leather jacket, she's aware that he's much stronger than he first appears. But he's never felt the need to act tough around her. She finds herself enjoying the juxtaposition of his sweetness and his strength. She thinks back to the previous night before Cheedo arrived, of his marred and beautiful chest, of their near kiss. She imagines if Cheedo hadn't interrupted, if she had continued kissing each of his bruises in turn until she had reached his lips.

She knows that Nux has to feel something for her in return. The way he had looked at her in that dress, the way he always looked at her like he couldn't believe she was real, he would have certainly returned her kiss. He would have taken her into his arms and for once she wouldn't have felt suffocated by the gesture. She finds her own hands drifting across her body beneath the cooling water. Gooseflesh forms in their wake as her skin is made even more sensitive by anticipation. It had been a long time since she had felt the desire to be touched like this. She can't take things as far as she'd like - she has no idea if Nux is still sleeping and these walls are paper-thin. But for now it's enough to feel the heat of her hands running across her belly and thighs.

She considers just walking out to the living room, waking Nux, and picking up where they left off. But the water is cold by the time she finally gets out, and her thoughts have cooled with it. She thinks about the way Nux looks at her now, and wonders if he'd still look at her in the same way if he knew everything about her past. It's enough to make her hesitate. She resolves to finally talk to him before anything else happens.

* * *

She takes her time getting ready. When she finally leaves the bathroom Nux is already awake, and she blushes at the thought of what she nearly did. But he's smiling at her, and still wearing her too-short pajamas, and more than anything she just wants to curl up on the couch with him, putting aside any thoughts of talking until later. But she promised to take him to the diner today, and for that she's going to need at least two cups of coffee and to put him some actual clothes.

They walk together to the laundromat after breakfast, which is Nux's first trip outside since she brought him home. He seems to be feeling somewhat better, and it is only Capable's stubbornness that keeps him from trying to carry the laundry himself.

The laundromat building itself is fairly old, though most of the shops around them are newer. While the retro feel of Roadside diner is mostly charming, the laundromat has not aged quite so gracefully. But it's as cheap as it ever was, and it's never too busy. At this time of the morning it's completely empty, and Capable takes over two machines without feeling the least bit guilty. She and Nux sit side by side over on the folding table and she tells him stories about the diner, in part to prepare him for the day, but also because she finds she wants to share this part of her life with him. He's only actually met Cheedo, but he's familiar enough with the other women to relate to her stories. He laughs when she tells him about Dag rescuing the lizard, and Toast handing some jerk a plate with "fuck you" written in ketchup. He even agrees with her that Furiosa and Officer Rockatansky are perfect for one another, though mostly because he believes they'd scare off anyone else. Nux in turn reveals that he and Furiosa grew up not too far from one another, even if they never really met before.

"I don't remember much of Furiosa before she left town - I was still too young - but I do remember Furiosa's mom at the diner. It was probably good that she got out when she did, there wasn't much to do back then other than ride around and get into trouble."

It's as good an opening as any to talk about what sort of trouble a girl could get into outside their small town, but several people have joined them since they started talking, and Capable would rather not have an audience. So she changes the subject.

"Well Furiosa did still manage to find a motorcycle wherever she went, and I'll bet she caused some trouble of her own. Still does."

She doesn't actually know much about what Furiosa did before she took over her mother's diner, but Nux is thoroughly distracted now and talking about how "chrome" Furiosa's bike is. Of course he would have noticed it before around town, and she thinks he may be a little in love with it by the time he's done praising the machine. She never through she'd be jealous of a motorcycle, but she smiles at Nux's enthusiasm.

The dryer finally finishes its cycle, and Nux bounds off the table to help her collect their laundry. He's adorably awkward whenever he runs across her underwear, but mostly he's just happy to be useful. As for his own clothes, his bloodied t-shirt seems to be a lost cause, but the rest of his clothes are in much better shape. They return home so he can change, and he ends up in his own jeans and boots but still wears her hoodie. He leaves the leather jacket still bearing the War Boy's insignia as they head off towards the Roadside diner.


	5. Chapter 5

Capable enters the Roadside diner with Nux in tow and somehow, strangely, the world doesn't end. The jukebox doesn't screech to a halt, all eyes don't turn to them, and no earthquakes erupt at their arrival. A few patrons peek over at Nux's banged up face, but they then return unperturbed to their meals. Max just continues drinking his coffee at the counter, not even offering so much as a grunt in their direction. Furiosa is the only one to even glance up at them, quirking her eyebrow at the pair but otherwise not responding.

Then Cheedo bounds in to greet them both, and she is quick to notice that Nux is wearing the same shirt he was last night, and does not leave this fact unremarked upon. The others hear this, and Capable finds herself actually wishing for the earthquake instead. Max has turned in his seat to give Nux a look that's better suited to a man polishing his shotgun in front of his daughter's prom date, and Furiosa is already out of her booth and heading towards them.

She doesn't say a word, she just drags Capable into the kitchen. Nux, not knowing what else to do, follows awkwardly behind.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Furiosa's voice actually lowers in anger, and the effect is worse than if she had just yelled at her. Capable tries for the introduction she's rehearsed in her head all morning.

"Furiosa, this is Nux, he's a…"

"I know exactly what he is. He's one of them, Capable."

"Not anymore."

"That's even worse. You have no idea what kind of trouble you're bringing with him."

Nux actually looks ashamed at this, but Valkyrie interrupts.

"No more trouble than bringing in any of these girls. I thought that's what we did here."

"This is different." Capable sees Furiosa deflate a little at Valkyrie's words.

"Look at the poor kid, he's as bad off and battered as the rest of them."

"So then we just offer him a job here? Never mind that him being here threatens all of us."

"He can fix things." Capable takes a chance.

"I can fix everything here myself."

"What about the jukebox?" Cheedo chimes in through the kitchen window where she's been watching the entire argument play out. "Patsy Cline is starting to bring everyone down."

"I'll get to it, I have a lot more important things to deal with right now."

"I can fix it," Nux announces, ducking out of the kitchen. He's already halfway to the across the diner before Furiosa can even try to object.

The machine itself is almost as old as the diner. It's not the typical old-fashioned jukebox, looking more like a pinball machine than an old radio. It's surrounded by a technicolor array of lights that change with each song, which has a lot of kids trying to toy with it. Hence their current predicament.

Nux doesn't even bother turning the machine off, just pushes it out from the wall to pull open the back. Capable has no idea what she's looking at, but Nux seems to comprehend the machinery at a glance. He checks for anything that might have been bumped loose, and finally fishes out a small metal square. He asks if they have any glue, which Cheedo finds for him, and then he's fastening the piece back where she assumes it belongs. He explains that the magnet just fell off the arm as he moves to the front of the machine to fiddle with the controls there.

The sounds of Nancy Sinatra's "The Boots Were Made For Walking" fills the dinner, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Nux is already shutting up the back and pushing the jukebox into place, and Capable can see the exact moment Furiosa's estimation of the boy goes up a little - possibly for his song choice as much as for the actual repair job. They both head back to where she waits at the kitchen's entrance grudgingly.

"Alright, I'll see about getting him a job. Not here. Now come with me and we'll look at what those Boys did to your bike."

Capable finally relaxes as Furiosa leads Nux out with her, and goes to follow them. But Furiosa halts her.

"We're running low on pie."

They're not, really, but Capable knows when she's being dismissed. She worries about leaving Nux alone with Furiosa, but she also knows there's no stopping whatever conversation they're about to have.

* * *

The pie crust she's rolling out bears the brunt of her nervousness near where Valkyrie is manning the grill. She's considered how much time it would actually take to check on the motorcycle, and factored in time for Furiosa's threats, and it's still been too long. What if she's actually scared him off? Capable couldn't blame him for running any more than she can be upset at Furiosa for being protective, but she had just gotten attached to the idea of him staying. She wasn't ready to lose him.

A hand on her shoulder startles her from her thoughts, and she turns to see Nux grinning at her reaction. He doesn't look at all freaked out by whatever just happened, and he's still all in one piece to boot.

"The bike's in pretty rough shape, but Furiosa says she'll lend me her tools so I can fix it up."

"Is that why you guys were out there so long?"

"No - she also said she'd shred me if I did anything to hurt you. I told her I'd throw myself under her wheels first. She seemed to like that."

All her nervousness evaporates instantly and she feels her chest tighten at his words. It seems as though he won't be so easily scared off. She's pretty sure she has a ridiculous smile on her face but she can't help it. She busies herself with the pie tins to try and cover it.

"So what should I fill these pies with? Peaches? Strawberries?"

"How about cherry?" He's beside her now, clearly amused at her expression and her fluttering about.

"Is cherry your favorite then?"

"It's the first one you ever offered me."

At least the goofy grin on his face now matches her own. She sets to work cooking the cherries and directs Nux to where the sugar sits on the shelf on the other side of her. He could easily walk around to get it, but he merely reaches around her, brushing against her side as he does. He stays close as she adds the sugar to the fruit, placing a hand on her arm under the guise of trying to get a better look at what she's doing. Her arm is tingling where his hand rests, but she tries to stay focused on carefully stirring the mixture. Valkyrie chuckles from nearby but otherwise doesn't say anything about their antics.

"Could we add chocolate to it?"

Capable grins to herself, glad she had gotten it right with the chocolate pie for him. She directs him over to where a bag of dark chocolate chips sits near the waffle iron, and he leaves her side reluctantly to fetch it.

"Why don't you add a handful?"

"Me?"

"Sure, as big a handful as you think it needs."

Nux looks almost like he wants to pout the whole bag in, but instead fills his broad palm with just a few more chips than are truly necessary. He reaches around her once again to slowly drop each piece into the bubbling fruit below. He's surprisingly delicate with the task, though she supposes it fits with his skills at repairing sensitive machinery.

She allows the chips to melt just slightly and gives the mixture a few more stirs before pouring it into the crust. She adds the top layer of pastry and lets Nux cut the vents into both. They're not perfect, but he looks so proud as they place the pies into the oven that she likes them all the better for it.

* * *

Afterwards Furiosa tells them she's found a potential job for Nux with Mr. Miller on the other side of town. He's not looking for trouble any more than Furiosa is, but he could do with another mechanic. Joe's shop has taken over servicing all the trucks that come through, and has a near-monopoly on imported parts, but the Millers' place still gets a lot of the local business with domestic cars. He and his wife run the shop all on their own, and Joe hasn't managed to put them out of business yet. Furiosa says Nux can start in a week, when his wrist has healed and his bike is fixed, and he gratefully accepts.

They get a surge of patrons shortly after Capable actually goes on shift, and Furiosa puts Nux to work refilling coffees to keep him from distracting her while she works. The plan is not entirely successful, as she ends up constantly watching him as he moves around the diner. He catches her watching him and grins at her, and then he keeps finding excuses to brush past her. It's a little hard to focus on anything else, but she's good at what she does and her work doesn't suffer too much. She later gets her vengeance when he nearly burns himself on the coffee pot - she takes up the affected hand into her own to blow cool air across his fingers, watching his eyes widen in response. She's feeling pretty smug about the bewildered look on his face after that.

Dag seems to accept Nux immediately when she joins them for the rush, and he patiently listens as she details numerous home remedies to help with his injuries. Toast is a little more wary of him, but she warms to him a little when she finds out he's the one that punched the guy who bothered Capable.

* * *

Cheedo waits around until the post-dinner lull to offer up any details about her date, once they're all gathered together with several plates of chili fries in the booth nearest to Furiosa's. Furiosa never participates in these conversations, but they all know she's secretly listening in. Even Nux is dragged over to hear her recount the evening, as he was now a part of the story. Cheedo teases that he was no help at all with picking an outfit, to which Nux just shrugs, but she thankfully doesn't bring up the fact that he was clearly spending the night with Capable again. She spends most of the meal on Grant himself, and his truly terrible taste in movies.

"But afterwards he goes to drop me off at my car, and he kisses me on the cheek! A cheek kiss! It was cute I just about dragged him home then and there."

Toast is rolling her eyes, but Dag and Capable are more than a little charmed. Capable actually holds out hope that this guy might be different that the rest of Cheedo's dates. Furiosa looks a little relieved as well, though she's still pretending not to pay attention to them. They all look out for each other here, and it seems Nux has been accepted as a part of this too.

* * *

Capable stays a little longer to help Toast prepare for the closing shift, and somehow manages to lose track of Nux in the process. She finally finds him curled up and asleep on the couch in the back room, where someone (probably Dag) has placed a blanket over him. Despite all of her worrying, Nux has been taken in by her friends with pretty minimal fuss, all things considered. He's managed to fit himself into every part of her life, and she can no longer imagine not having him around. He wakes at the feeling of her hand tugging at his own and they walk home with hands still clasped together.


	6. Chapter 6

Monday is the only day the diner doesn't open, which more often than not makes it the busiest day of Capable's week. She offers Nux her spare key so she can run errands while he meets with Furiosa at the diner to work on his bike. She no longer worries about leaving him alone with the other woman, since there seems to be some kind of mutual respect there now. But she finds she is no longer used to Nux's absence as she goes about about straightening up her apartment, clearing off the couch she had begun to think of as his. Even at the grocery store, her thoughts keep turning back to him - what kind of foods he likes, whether she should buy less girly soap. Which is not to say she thinks of nothing else, but ever since Furiosa had found her she began to allow herself to hope for good things again. And that hope was pretty intoxicating, whether she was thinking about her friends or her future bakery, or even just having someone to share those dreams with.

The sun is already getting low on the horizon by the time she finishes running around town, and Capable heads to the diner to check in with the repairs before heading home. Most of the damage to the bike is superficial, and they've already gotten it up and running, but it's taking a little longer for Nux and Furiosa to strip it of anything that makes it recognizably Joe's. Capable returns to her apartment to attempt the same with his jacket. The War Boys tore off most of the gang's insignia patches during the fight, but there's still some stitching on it that will need to go. She sets to work with a pair of scissors and some sturdy thread, repairing his jacket as she makes it his own once again. She's nearly done with patching a torn sleeve when she hears Nux knocking on the front door. She drops the stitching to go to unlock it.

"Did you forget your key already?"

But it's not Nux standing in front of her. The man now at her door is much more formidable, and far less less welcome.

"Hello gorgeous, were you expecting someone else?"

Still half in shock, she quickly tries to slam the door in her ex's face. But Rictus just pushes his way past her and into her apartment.

"Pretty little thing like you should be more careful opening the door to just anyone."

"I am not a thing!"

Rictus just gives an unfriendly chuckle at her response, making himself at home on her couch, on Nux's couch.

"So this is where you've been hiding. I can't believe you left a penthouse apartment for this shithole."

"I would have rather lived on the streets than with you."

"Still so fiery, I love it."

He's openly leering at her now, and she feels her fists tighten in response. "What are you even doing here?"

"Can a man come check on his girl?"

"I'm not your girl anymore."

Nux apparently picks that exact moment to walk in through the still open door, and he looks over to where Rictus is sitting in confusion. But Rictus looks more amused at his entrance than anything else, and just settles into the couch as if he belongs there.

"So that's how it is then? Shacking up with one of my father's little War Boys?"

"Capable?"

Nux is now looking at her with that same expression of confusion, but she can't offer him any explanation just yet. She needs to get Rictus out of her apartment. Immediately. She gathers up her courage and tries to imitate Furiosa's commanding voice.

"You need to leave."

She stands directly before Rictus, staring him down as she orders him to go - something she would have never imagined doing a few short months ago. She's still scared as hell, but she's not about to let him know that. Never again will she let him intimidate her. It helps a little that Nux is standing beside her this time, but it's more than that. She's free from him now, and he can't ever take her back. Even if he strikes out again she'll just hit back. She hopes it doesn't come to that, but she's ready for a fight if it does.

"Leave or I call the police."

Capable sees his smug grin drop just slightly before being forced back into place. He finally stands.

"Whatever you say sweetheart, I know you'll be back. Once you get tired of slumming it out here with this mongrel."

Nux looks about ready to throw a punch himself but Capable steps in front of him, not wanting to risk a fight with Rictus already leaving on his own. She places a hand over Nux's clenched fist behind her, a signal to not do anything rash, and stays between the two until the door shuts behind the other man. She can feel Nux relax just slightly, but her own heart is still racing. She rushes to lock the door, slumping against the wood as she tries to steady herself. Her eyes close as she tries to take in deep breaths. Thankfully Nux seems to understand she needs a moment, and hovers near to her for several minutes before finally asking if she's ok. He doesn't ask about Rictus, or demand to know why he was in her apartment, just tries to make sure she's alright. It's unexpectedly reassuring, and she finds she actually wants to tell him what happened. But she has to take care of something else first.

"I'm alright, I just didn't expect him to find me here," she turns from the door to where he's still looking at her with worry. "I'll explain everything as soon as I call Furiosa."

She moves past Nux to get to her phone, her hands still shaking but the number is familiar. The phone rings several times, her nerves increasingly strung out with each ring, until Furiosa finally answers.

"He found me."

Furiosa doesn't need to ask who he is, they both know who Capable is talking about.

"He came by the apartment today and barged right in. He left when I threatened to call the police, but he knows where I live now."

Furiosa has her go back over everything, every word exchanged, which Capable does. She almost feels as though someone else is telling the story. Some ghost of her is repeating the lines from earlier, but her present self is slightly distracted by how helpless Nux looks as he listens in. She reaches out to take his hand, grounding them both a little as she finishes her re-telling. Nux still alternates between looking furious at Rictus and amazed at her own responses in turn, though they've both calmed considerably. His thumb carefully strokes the back of her hand and her fingers finally stop shaking in his grasp. He says nothing, and Furiosa listens attentively to the whole story before responding.

"I worried this might happen. We should have gotten you further away."

"I'm not leaving!" Capable feels panic surge up again, and she grips Nux's hand more tightly to steady herself. "I won't let him scare me away from my own home. I'll get a restraining order or something."

"It's not that simple. It's…" Furiosa's voice is suddenly muffled. "Look, Max wants to talk to you, but you don't have to tell him anything if you don't want to."

"Max…?" But as she's trying to figure out who she's talking about, she hears Officer Rockatansky mumble out a greeting. Capable experiences a brief feeling of victory as her suspicions about the two of the them are confirmed, but she's just as quickly pulled back to the reality of the situation by Rocktansky's - Max's - words.

"I shouldn't tell you this, but we're currently looking into Rictus and his father. I'll take your statement but I don't want to draw any more attention to you than we have to - from Rictus or from the cops. I don't want you involved in any of this mess."

Capable agrees to come down to the station the next morning, coinciding with Max being in his office, before hanging up. Nux still seems to be puzzling over what happened, but he, like Max, isn't pushing for answers yet. She lets go of his hand to walk to her room, avoiding the couch for now. If they're going to have this conversation she wants to be sitting down, and she sort of wants to curl up in her quilt. Nux, surprisingly, doesn't immediately follow her. Instead he heads into the kitchen, where she can hear him turning on the water.

She's left on her own for a few minutes, and she eventually starts to worry that he's still angry, maybe even angry at her. But then he's standing in her doorway with a cup of tea, waiting to be invited in.

* * *

They end up sitting against her headboard, shoulders pressed against each other and she takes small sips of hastily brewed tea. Her legs are tucked up into her quilt, one of the few things in her apartment that isn't second-hand. Miss Giddy had made it for her, as she had made one for all the girls, with stories quilted into each panel. She tries and fails to read those stories with blurry eyes, looking for a way to begin her own.

"Rictus is…he's the reason I left the city."

She tells him about meeting Rictus at work, how she had moved in with him shortly after because she couldn't afford her rent. It hadn't been so bad at first, but he had started taking all of her paychecks to put into a 'joint' account, insisting he would be the one taking care of her so she no longer needed them. She wasn't even allowed to go anywhere without him - not that she could have since she wasn't allowed a car either. She was entirely dependent on him, physically and financially, and completely trapped.

If Nux is surprised or disgusted to learn that she had been working as a dancer at the time, he certainly doesn't show it. He simply reaches for her hand again with his own bandaged one as she continues her story.

She explains that she had tried breaking things off with Rictus several times before, and each time he just reminded her of her place. Capable realizes that Nux is tensing up at this and that the hand not holding her own is clenched into a fist, so she leaves out some of the worst details for now. She tells him how she decided to be smart about leaving this time and sneak off once she had saved up enough cash. How each night she squirreled away a tiny portion of her tips and hid them in the club's small dressing room. Cheedo had just started working there, and even though she had her own stuff going on she had helped Capable secure a hiding place and gave her a few dollars from her own money. After a while she nearly had enough to get herself a bus ticket and a month's rent, but Rictus had followed her one night and had seen her hiding the cash. He was furious, ripping the money from her hands and throwing it on the floor. It was the first time he had ever struck her in the face, not even caring that she would be fired.

With nothing else to lose, she just ran. She made it several blocks from the club before she even looked back, and several more before she was sure he wasn't right behind her. She cut through a couple alleys just to make sure he wasn't following her in his car before slipping into a all-night coffee shop. She was surprised they had let her in, barely dressed as she was and with a black eye forming. But the place was pretty rough itself, and no one stopped her.

She spent several hours there, still shaken by what happened. Even seated in the booth furthest from view, she found herself constantly checking out the window to make sure she hadn't been found. The small amount of cash she had on her went mostly to buying a cup of coffee so she wouldn't be kicked out. She had resigned herself to spending the entire night there, fully prepared to just sleep in the booth if she had to.

"Sounds like how you found me that night."

It's the first thing he's said since he came in here with her, and she actually laughs a little at the truth of it. She remembers thinking the exact same thing herself when she had found him trying to sleep behind the diner, black eye and all. It was why she taken him in, because someone had once shown her the same compassion.

Her savior had been Furiosa that night. By some stroke of luck she had been in the city that late, and was trying to caffeinate herself before riding home. She had noticed the too-thin Capable hiding in the back, and offered to buy her breakfast. Most people were a little intimidated by Furiosa's buzzcut and her rather wicked-looking prosthetic arm, but all Capable could see was her kindness - a rare quality in her world. She ended up telling Furiosa her entire story over the course of the meal. Furiosa didn't say much, as usual, but at the end of it she offered Capable a job at her diner.

Capable had accepted immediately, and has been thankful for it ever since. Furiosa had helped her get back on her feet, even getting Mrs. Green, and old friend of her mother's, to lease Capable the small apartment adjoining her own. And a few weeks later Furiosa had offered the same help to Cheedo when Capable had mentioned her former coworker. She might act tough, but she had always had a soft spot for strays.

"So I just left everything else behind, I never went back for anything except Cheedo. All my money, my clothes, even my grandmother's locket is still at Rictus's place, if he hasn't thrown it all away already. He always hated that jewelry box, so I'm sure that was the first to go."

It takes her a few moments to collect herself as she thinks back to all she left behind. But she tells him she hadn't thought Rictus would find her again out here. The town wasn't that far from the city, but no one from the city ever really came out this way, and she certainly never expected Rictus to. Furiosa had eventually made the connection between her ex and Joe, but it had been months and it didn't seem like there was that much communication between father and son. Nux shakes his head at this.

"Joe always wanted the perfect heir to carry on his legacy. It certainly wasn't going to be Rictus's messed up older brother, but Rictus was never good enough either. He keeps trying to prove himself, but Joe's convinced he'll have an even more perfect son."

Capable thinks back to Angharad, and her baby. Maybe one day, when this is all over, Nux will be able to meet her friend. But for now it is not her story to share. And Nux is trying to share some small part of his.

She had guessed before that he taken up with the War Boys for the lack of anything else to do, that he had managed to find something close to family there, dysfunctional as it was. Working at Joe's also paid more than any other job they were likely to get. More than they should have gotten at all working in some small town repair shop.

"All that money had to come from somewhere, but I guess I didn't really want to know. But I found out some of it eventually. Joe sent me off to do him a favor. It was a great honor to be asked but he wanted me to…hurt people. I failed."

Capable knows that the shame Nux feels now is for even trying in the first place, not for failing. This all apparently happened shortly before the scene in the diner.

"Slit and them were trying to help me get back into his good graces that day, telling me I could do something to deliver vengeance on Furiosa for what she did to him. That didn't work out so well either."

He looks a little less ashamed at this, a small grin sneaking back on to his face. Capable smiles as well. It was a pretty awful day for both of them, but it had worked out pretty well in the end.

"I'm glad it was you. That found me."

"Me too."

With that she feels Nux shift beside her and the faintest brush of lips across her cheek. She turns to the side to see Nux has already pulled back, and he looks as uncertain as she thinks she's ever seen him. He hasn't really been shy in initiating small gestures of affection with her lately, but this is somehow different. The moment is still so raw, both of their pasts laid bare before the other. There is a lot of baggage on both sides, and if there was any time to to put the brakes on things this was it. But Capable no longer feels as weighed down by what happened before, and more than anything she wants the chance to finally move forward.

She closes the distance between them, placing a soft kiss on his lips this time. She only lingers for a few moments before ending the kiss, but she leaves her forehead pressed again his own and their hands intertwined. Her eyes are closed but she can feel him smiling, and feels her own lips quirk up in return. They remain like this for several minutes, both reluctant to pull away.

Finally Nux is forced to point out that it is very late, and he should let her sleep. He moves to return to the couch, but she draws him back, silently asking him to stay. He simply removes his boots before crawling under the quilt with her, drawing her into his arms. Capable allows herself to curl up in his embrace, carefully as she rests her head on his chest even though his ribs seem to have healed. She places a final kiss over his heart before drifting off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The sun is already peeking through the curtains as she wakes, and she curls into her pillow to keep the light from her eyes. Capable can't remember the last time she had slept past dawn - despite her weird work hours she's managed to get into the habit of always waking early. She also doesn't remember her small bed ever being quite this cozy before. She suspects it may have something to do with the very warm boy she's currently using as her pillow. Nux himself seems to have woken before her, another first, and she luxuriates in the feel of his uninjured hand gently smoothing through her sleep-mussed curls.

She feigns sleep a little longer, cataloguing the feel of waking up entangled with him. They both fell asleep in their clothes, and she can feel the rough fabric of their jeans gathered uncomfortably around their legs. But she finds she doesn't mind it so much with her leg thrown across his, able to feel the heat radiating from him even through the thick fabric. Her arm is similarly around his waist, and his bandaged hand rests on her back, not a single inch of space between them.

Eventually she gives into the urge to stretch, arching into Nux's firm side and tightening her limbs around him. The hand in her hair moves to her cheek, coaxing her face from where it is turned into his shoulder. She opens her eyes to find Nux smiling sleepily at her, and reaches up to kiss the corner of his mouth. He turns his head to brush his lips more fully against her own, still gentle and sleepy. She stretches up to meet him, pressing her hand into his side to give herself more leverage. He in turn slips his fingers into her hair, cradling her head as the kiss becomes less drowsy but still unhurried.

Last night they had reached out to one another for comfort, but now Capable allows herself to enjoy their kiss for its own sake. She thinks she could be perfectly content simply trading lazy kisses all morning. Maybe every morning. She relaxes back into his side to place soft kisses across his neck.

A light nip below Nux's jaw has him tilting his head back for better access, and his hand tightening in her hair. Capable takes this as a sign to continue and trails more kisses and soft bites across his jawline, until she reaches his ear. Careful teeth at his earlobe earns her a full body shudder, and she repeats the action to the same effect. His breathing is no longer steady, and his hand clenches unconsciously against the nape of her neck. As she sucks the lobe into her mouth she is rewarded with a groan, as Nux pulls her more tightly against him.

Capable finds herself responding to the soft noises coming from the boy beneath her, stretching her leg to press her lower body more firmly against his thigh. Her hand dips under the hoodie he wears to stroke the sleep-warm flesh below as he squirms beneath her ministrations. Eventually Nux drags her back up into a kiss, pulling her body further on top of his own. Capable uses this vantage point to deepen the kiss. She can feel him half hard beneath her, but there's no urgency here.

The only drawback to this position is the zipper digging into her chest. She pulls back and Nux actually whimpers at the loss, looking up at her in confusion. She asks if he can lose the sweater and then he's sitting up and fumbling out of the top, not even bothering to unzip it. He grins at her once he's free, and she runs her fingers along the curve of his ear appreciation. Nux's eyes flutter closed at this, and she takes a moment to enjoy his bare chest once again. His body is narrow but his shoulders are strong and broad, and even his rather considerable scars don't mar their masculine beauty.

She gently pushes him back down into the bed to get a better look at his tattoo in the brightening daylight. She had seen it briefly the other night, but now she allows herself to trace the intricate lines of it. The design spans most of his chest and she feels his muscles jump below the path of her fingers. His own hands slide under the back of her shirt, stroking along her lower back as he patiently endures her explorations.

The sound of a car's horn brings back the reality of the outside world. A glance over to the clock reveals that she's already late to work. But Nux's fingers are rubbing gentle circles on her back and he's warm and shirtless beneath her, and she finds herself very tempted to let herself be even later. It is only the knowledge that Furiosa will worry that stops her from giving in. She pulls back with a sigh, reminding Nux - and herself - that she should be getting ready for work. Nux just smiles at her, and she loves him all the more for not complaining.

"My shift ends at 4, and then we can pick up where we left off?"

Nux's grin grows wider at this, and she can't resist dipping down for another long kiss. What's another few minutes, anyway?

* * *

They finally arrive at the diner just a few minutes before it's open. Furiosa directs a look at her that somehow manages to convey reproach and concern all at once. Capable doesn't even try to explain, she just ducks her head and slips back into the kitchen, Nux in tow. She could probably offer up last night's confrontation as an excuse, but she's blushing just thinking about the real reason for their tardiness, and she knows Furiosa would see right through her. It's much easier just to hide out in the kitchen and get to work while Dag has the floor covered.

Nux alternates between helping her bake and distracting her completely from the task with small touches, but Valkyrie's presence keeps them mostly in check. Mostly. She's working on the filling for several chocolate mousse pies, as well as the custard for a banana cream pie (also with a hint of chocolate, with Nux's suggestion) and ends up smudging some of the mousse across her cheek. She goes to wipe it off but Nux is already there, licking off the mousse in a surprising move that's completely ridiculous but oddly sexy at the same time. They end up laughing both at themselves and at Valkyrie's threats to separate them. They behave a little better after that, aside from a few stolen kisses while Capable gets ready to join Dag on the floor.

As she leaves the kitchen Max is already seated at his usual spot at the counter, though he has his coffee in a to-go cup. He signals for Capable to join him, and she heads over with Furiosa's assurances she and Dag can handle breakfast themselves.

"Does Nux need to come as well?" She skips over greeting him entirely, unsure if she's allowed to call him Max now or if he'll always be Officer Rockatansky. Though really, since this is police business, Officer is probably more appropriate. But Max's attention is on Nux now. She watches as some sort of nonverbal communication passes between the two men.

"I should probably take care of some things now that my bike's fixed…" Capable realizes the police station might not be as friendly a place to Nux, though neither man is about to mention this fact.

"Won't be long." Max assures as he leads Capable out the door.

* * *

Delivering her statement to Officer Rockatansky, Max, is both easier and harder than telling Furiosa. Being down at the station is a little intimidating, and makes the whole thing seem real in a way it she hadn't entirely accepted before. But Max is patient, and she doesn't have to worry about downplaying her fears for him. Max isn't going to push her to move across the country, or go out and pick a fight with Rictus himself, and more importantly, he's not going to judge her for feeling vulnerable.

They put Nux down as a witness to the events, indicating that his contact info is the same as Capable's now - possibly the most pleasant part of the entire interview. But Max warns her that they can't do much unless he approaches her again, that there needs to be a pattern of threats to merit a restraining order. He offers to see if they can't get him charged for his previous assault on her, but they both know the case is flimsy with no witnesses or evidence. Capable decides to leave what happened in the past, and Max releases her to return to work. She turns down his offer of a ride, giving herself time to clear her head as she walks back to the diner. It feels like a lot has happened in a very short amount of time, but she relaxes at the thought that it's over now.

* * *

Nux is still out when she gets back to the diner. This turns out to be fortuitous since several War Boys have now taken over one of their tables. This is the first she's seen of the gang since the incident, though they seem to be behaving better this time around. At least, as well as can be expected. They've still too loud and more than a little rowdy, but Furiosa is watching their table and they manage to keep themselves mostly in check.

Both Dag and Miss Giddy ask about her boyfriend, and for once she doesn't correct them. They haven't put a label on anything, but she has come to think of Nux as her's. She realizes she's been thinking of him as her's probably since she first brought him home, but after last night she can no longer deny what he is to her - to herself or to her makeshift little family.

The rest of her shift passes pretty uneventfully, and she tries not to worry about Nux's absence. Aside from his wrist he's pretty well healed, and he doesn't need her to constantly baby-sit him anymore. While she's glad he's alright, she can admit to herself she misses playing nursemaid just a little. Things have been so nice, with just the two of them taking care of each other. Capable is relieved when Nux finally calls up the diner, though her worries return when she finds out he's calling from a pay phone in the city.

"Nux, where are you right now?"

"I was just getting some of my things while the others were out, and then I thought about how all your things were still at Rictus's place…"

"You didn't…"

"It's all shine, no worries. Rictus isn't even at his place, the bastard, but all his stuff is."

"What stuff are you talking about?"

Nux sounds almost giddy, if a little panicked, as he describes what he found there. Apparently the reason the cops never found anything incriminating at Joe's businesses was that there was nothing there to find - much of it had clearly been moved to a hidden cache in Rictus's city apartment. Stolen parts, pharmaceuticals, even weapons had all been tucked into various hiding spots throughout his home. All of the War Boys had similar such places, so Nux knows how to find most of them. He assures her that he had worn his riding gloves the whole time, and there was no way of anyone knowing he'd been in the apartment. He asks her if this will help Max take down Joe and Rictus.

"But how will I tell him I found out about it?" She couldn't even tip the police off anonymously without casting some sort of suspicion on either of them. It'd be just too convenient if someone reported contraband at his place the same day she filed a police report against him.

"Yes, yes, right! Don't be stupid, Nux. I'll take care of it!" He says more to himself than to her, before becoming silent. She calls his name several times before realizing he already hung up. Her hands lifts to call him back, before she remembers that he called from a pay phone. Short of asking Furiosa for a lift into the city to find him, she doesn't know what else to do other than wait for him to call again. She finishes up her shift, jumping each time the phone rings, but each time it turns out to be a false alarm. She's torn between continuing to wait at the diner, or going ahead home where he's sure to expect her soon. She considers the possibility he may already be there, and makes up her mind. She asks Miss Giddy to call her in case Nux tries the diner again, before hurrying home.

* * *

When she doesn't find Nux waiting for her at the apartment, Capable busies herself with making dinner to keep herself from pacing the living room or just waiting by the phone. Her hands are kept occupied with flour and butter, but her mind is still running through dozens of possible scenarios. Perhaps he ran into traffic on the way home? Or maybe he ran into Rictus. She hopes he hasn't done anything crazy, like go after her ex or burn the whole place down.

She's contemplating the likelihood that Nux is in the hospital or in jail or worse when she finally hears the lock turning. She leans against the counter as relief spreads through her entire body.

"Capable?"

She's still a bit shaky and also wrist deep in dough so she calls Nux into the kitchen with her. He's grinning a little wildly but he doesn't look like he's been in another fight, or set fire to anything, small mercy that it is. He actually looks pretty pleased with himself as he leans on the counter beside her. Assured that he is actually fine, she demands an explanation for what happened.

"I told you I'd take of it, and look what else."

He holds his hand up, and she watches as a silver pendant unwinds from his fingers.

"My locket!"

"I couldn't take anything else without it being suspicious, but you said it was important to you."

Capable wishes she could hug him without covering him in flour, though she manages to twist around to kiss his cheek. "Let me just wash my hands and I can put it on."

"I've got it."

It never ceases to amaze her how Nux's broad hands are so skillful with such delicate tasks, as he expertly unclasps the necklace. It usually took her at least a couple tries and it was her necklace! He moves behind her to drape the chain around her neck, brushing her hair over her shoulder to fasten it once again. The action only takes a few seconds, but Capable's awareness of his every touch makes the moment stretch out infinitely. The metal locket is still warm from his hand, which is the first surprise, though not as warm as the fingers that brush across her collarbones. As he draws her curls away from her neck she feels suddenly exposed, and her neck tingles where his movements tug the delicate chain across her skin. But just as quickly he manages to clasp the necklace together, and the locket settles its familiar weigh below the hollow of her throat.

"Where did you even find it?"

"In the sea shell jewelry box, just like you said."

"You remembered all that?" She twists again to look at him - she barely remembers all that she said herself, but somehow Nux does. It's sort of incredible.

Nux just shrugs. "Of course, I remember everything you tell me." His arms sneak around her waist and she settles back into him. She feels his chin resting on her shoulder as she starts unrolling the dough.

"I remember you called me 'love'. The first time."

"Hmm?"

"When I first saw you at the diner. I don't think you knew what I was, no one's ever called me that before."

Capable finds her own memory a little hazier. Nux had been in several times to the diner, but she's not sure she remembers when she first saw him there. She also called a lot of people 'love', all of the waitresses do, but never the War Boys. Then again, Nux has never really been like the other Boys. He's probably the only one who deserves the endearment. She's touched that he remembers this, and turns her head to kiss his cheek again. With a little coaxing he tilts his own head to face her and she captures his lips in a slow kiss, trying to convey how moved she is by his words. Her hands, meanwhile, hover uselessly over the counter, still covered in flour. His own hands tighten around her waist as she draws his bottom lip into her own, nipping lightly and then soothing the bite with her tongue. He's making all these little sounds and it brings her straight back the memory of waking together in bed. How he had looked beneath her, so responsive to her touch. Her earlier arousal returns with the memory, and she finds herself deepening the kiss and pressing back more deeply into Nux's arms. She makes several aborted motions to bring her own hands up to touch him, before reluctantly pulling away from their kiss.

"Love, do you remember what I said this morning?"

It takes him a moment, but then he actually blushes even as he's smiling.

"Here, just let me clean up real quick…"

Nux's blush deepens, if anything, as he shakes his head before renewing their kiss. She can't understand the gesture until he dips down to kiss her neck, imitating her earlier actions. Capable had been in total charge this morning, and now it seemed that Nux wanted his chance to explore without her clever hands distracting him. She grips the edge of the counter as he reaches her ear, mimicking her earlier ministrations. He's certainly a quick learner. She lets out a small sigh at the feeling of his warm mouth on her earlobe, and tilts her head for better access as he moves back down her neck. He kisses over the chain of her locket, and the reminder of its presence and his role in returning it to her brings another wave of satisfaction through her. But then he is nosing at the collar of her waitress uniform, and mouthing at the newly exposed skin. She does not anticipate the soft bite at the base of her neck, something she had not done to him but now the action shoots straight to her core.

"Please, Nux…"

"Please what?" He pulls away from her neck and she feels the question whispered against her ear, sending a shudder through her body.

"Touch me." She's getting a little desperate, and all he's done is kiss her neck.

"But I am touching you?" His hands wiggle a little to match his response, but his words aren't teasing. He honestly doesn't seem to have any idea of the effect he's having on her.

"More," she breathes, not entirely sure how to ask for what she wants. His hands begin to move across her stomach, drawing small patterns through the fabric of her dress. It's very pleasant, but it's not enough.

"Higher."

His hands actually pause for a second, before tentatively sliding upwards across her lower ribs, stopping just short of her chest. She tries arching into his hands and sliding down a little, hoping he'll take the hint. Thankfully he does, and his hands resume their upward path over her breasts, carefully covering them with broad palms. The sensation is muted by the layers of fabric between them, but somehow the heat of his hands seeps through and she lets out a little mewl at the feel of it. His hands actually twitch at the sound, tightening his grip for just a second but she moans in response. Encouraged by this, he gently grips and massages her chest, trying to map out what gets him the best response. His lips return to her neck, and it amplifies each sensation.

"You can…my dress."

Capable is aware that she's not making much sense, but Nux's hands and mouth are pretty distracting. Luckily he seems to catch on a little quicker this time and his hands move to tug at the buttons of her dress. He's a little clumsier than she would expect from the way he handles everything else, but she looks down to see his fingers are shaking where they pull the small disks through the buttonholes. Capable actually feels a little proud that she can reduce the normally skilled boy to this, but then she's gasping as he finally gets her top undone enough to dip trembling fingers inside. He strokes the top of both breasts for several moments, and she hadn't even realized they could be this sensitive, before finally daring to slip beneath her bra. If his fingers were a bit clumsy with her buttons, they seem much more adept now as he delicately rolls a nipple between two fingers. Capable gasps at the sensation and feels Nux pull away from her neck to peer down her open dress to where pale pink lace peeks out.

Nux's other hands comes to mirror its mate, and the dual sensations have her arching almost painfully back into him. She can once again feel him hardening within his jeans but he seems to be ignoring it in favor of pleasuring her. She presses her hips back into his experimentally, feeling his fingers tighten on her nipples in response. They both gasp at this, and she repeats the motion. Capable could almost get off just like this, his hands on her breasts and his hardness nudging against her back, but she's not quite there. Her knuckles are white where they grip the counter, and it is no small effort to pull one away. She reaches up to pull one of his hands from her chest and draws it down beneath her dress to rest on her thigh, dusting them both with flour in the process. She can still feel him uncertain, and guides his hand further up until his warm palm rests over her center, hiking up her skirt along with it. Even through her panties the heat of him feels lovely, and she unconsciously grinds back into him in response.

Nux finally seems to catch up with what she wants, and draws tentative fingers across her. She's sure he can feel how wet she already is, but his pace is slow. She moans as each careful drag of his fingers sends shudders through her body. Finally, finally a single finger slips below the edge of the fabric. He traces along the seam of her, gathering wetness before delving deeper. His finger brushes against the small bundle of nerves above her entrance and she jolts at the sensation. Nux nearly pulls away at her response, but she's whimpering now and he hesitantly resumes stroking her. He avoids drawing his finger over that spot again, fearful that he has hurt her, but his palm now rests there pressing right where she needs it. His finger is now free to dip within her, and she moans at the feel of him inside her. As he presses in more deeply she can no longer resist gripping onto him. The rhythm he manages as his finger moves within her is clumsy and wonderful. Her hips rock back and forth between the movement of his hand and where he presses up against her from behind. She feels the softest press of lips right below her ear and suddenly it's all too much. Her whole body tenses as her legs tremble, the intensity of it almost overwhelming her. When the tension finally shatters as a soft cry is pulled from her lips, she is left boneless in Nux's arms, her body pulsing with aftershocks.

Nux thankfully tightens his hold as her still shaky limbs will no longer support her. With what little energy she has left she turns to draw Nux into another kiss. Despite her recent release, the kiss quickly becomes more urgent, and she somehow manages to find the strength to turn in his arms, wrapping her own around him to pull him more tightly into her. Nux responds with equal fervor, drawing his hands to her waist to lift her onto a cleaner section of the kitchen counter. She immediately wraps her legs around him to feel him press against her still sensitive core. It's almost too much but she wants this for him, for both of them. She pulls his hips into hers, finding a rhythm that is just shy of being enough, but it seems to satisfy Nux if the noises he's making into her lips are anything to go by. She reaches for the button of his jeans when the sound of the doorbell once again interrupts. They both pull back in surprise, though at this point Capable thinks they should just always expect something getting in the way.

Capable reluctantly buttons up her dress, smoothing down her skirt as she hops down from the counter. Nux, on the other hand, looks completely wrecked - lips red and his clothes streaked with flour. With a glance towards the state of his jeans she leaves him in the kitchen to answer the door herself. Hopefully it isn't Cheedo or one of the other girls here to interrupt them again, though she is perfectly willing to shoo them off this time. But through the peephole she sees that it's a uniformed Max knocking at her door. Along with another officer she doesn't recognize. What are they even doing here? She looks back to the kitchen, wondering just what Nux has gotten himself into…


	8. Chapter 8

Max introduces the other man as Officer Larsen, who is the one to actually reveal their reason for being there. "We just have a few follow up questions about your interview this morning. Do you mind if we come in?"

"Of course, sure." Relief floods Capable as she realizes they're not here for Nux. It seems so obvious now that they're here to talk to her. She just hopes she didn't look too panicked when she opened the door, but neither officer mentions it.

There's really only the small couch to sit on in the living room, so she goes to the kitchen to grab some extra chairs. Nux still stands by the counter, looking nearly as disheveled as before if thankfully a bit calmer. He follows her out of the kitchen with a chair of his own, feeling better able to deal with the police outside the station.

Max quirks an eyebrow at the sight of Nux covered in flour, and she can see him looking back and forth between her hands and his clothing. Capable sort of wishes the ground would swallow her up when she and Max both notice the perfect powdery handprints on the seat of Nux's jeans. She blushes as she remembers exactly how they got there, but Max just clears his throat and doesn't comment on anything. Once everyone is seated, a few brief introductions are made and then Officer Larsen is straight to business.

"We're here to ask a few more questions about your ex, Miss. How much were you aware of Rictus's business dealings?"

"Not very, I knew he was involved in the import business. Cars, mostly. But that's it." It's the truth, more of less. He never told her anything about his work. He never really talked about anything important with her. Men like Rictus didn't see women as human beings, merely possessions. But Larsen presses on.

"He was involved in a hell of a lot more than cars, are you sure you never heard about or suspected he might be importing anything illegally?"

"I never heard anything about it before today." A careful truth, not a lie. "If I had I would have told Officer Rockatansky when we spoke this morning."

Max catches the worried note in her voice, and jumps in to reassure her. "You're not in any trouble, Capable, we just have to follow protocol here. Look into any connections."

"What's going on?" Nux finally asks. The question is directed as Max but it's Larsen that answers.

"A fire alarm was set off at Rictus's place this afternoon, and when emergency crews arrived they discovered massive amounts of contraband just sitting out in plain sight. Conveniently, they even found papers linking the items to his father's business, and we were able to obtain warrants to further search their homes and those of some of the gang members. Several arrests have already been made, and now we're making sure we didn't miss any evidence or people who may have been involved."

Capable finally begins to realize what Nux has done, what he meant when he said he had taken care of it. She tries to keep from laughing at how convenient it really was for the police. Nux had taken a huge risk going there, and even more trying to deliver the evidence, and he had done it for her. Now it was her job to protect him.

Max's expression reveals little as he interrupts her thoughts. "Apparently some neighbors reported a man with a shaved head and leather jacket skulking around the apartment earlier, but that description fits about a dozen people - Rictus included. It was probably just one of the War Boys. And you're not a War Boy, are you, Nux?" Capable tenses, Max obviously knows.

"No, Sir." Capable can feel the weight of this exchange, as well as Max's approving nod. It expresses not only support for Nux's actions, but also an acceptance of the boy himself.

"We're also here to caution you." Officer Larsen seems completely unaware of the exchange that has just occurred. "We have Joe and Rictus in custody, as well as several of the other high-ranking War Boys, but some of the others may be looking for retaliation. We're concerned that you two may be targeted, and want to make sure you're taking the appropriate precautions."

He goes on to list a bunch of common sense safety measures that probably won't do much good against the gang, but Capable listens patiently anyway. Afterwards, Larsen thanks them for their time and takes his leave. Max lingers a little longer to deliver what might be a threat but also seems to be a command that Nux look out for her before heading out to join his partner.

Nux still seems a little tense after their visit, but Capable can't help laughing at the entire situation. She had been steadfastly avoiding looking at Nux's clothing during the whole conversation, but now he's turned to lock the door and she can once again see the clear handprints that cover his backside. Once she allows herself to start laughing, she finds she can't stop. Nux is confused at her reaction for several moments until he realizes where she's looking. He seems a little mortified at first, likely wondering if the police had seen it too, before sheepishly joining in with her giggles. The sound of his deep laughter only feeds back into her own amusement until they're both out of breath.

"Maybe we should clean up and try to finish dinner before anyone else shows up?"

Nux gives one last chuckle before heading to shower, while Capable heads back to the kitchen to wash up. The rolled out pie crust still waits for her on the counter, and it only takes a few minutes to chop up some chicken and vegetables to fill it. The shower hasn't been on very long by the time the pie is in the oven, and Capable is suddenly left with nothing more to do in the kitchen for the next forty minutes while it bakes. A rather mischievous grin spreads over her face as she thinks of a way she might pass the time.

She makes her way towards the sound of the water, pausing at the bathroom door to knock innocently. "Nux, do you mind if I come in and wash up? I'm still a mess from earlier."

She hears several items being knocked into the tub, and smiles at how easily he gets flustered just at her words. His response is a jumble of half-words and sounds that seems to amount to a yes. The door is unlocked and she allows herself in, once again admiring the long silhouette of Nux's body behind the curtain. She makes quick work of unbuttoning her dress and slipping out of her underthings. She throws them on top of Nux's own discarded clothing, next to a bag of what appears to be his own clothes - newly acquired from his former residence. She resists the urge to peek into his things, especially when there's something much more interesting to see behind the shower curtain.

Nux's back is firmly turned towards her as she steps into the shower. It gives her a chance to look him over without any distraction. His broad shoulders look even better from this angle, and she watches the play of muscles across his back as he shifts awkwardly in front of her. She can still see a bit of one of his scars - Larry, or maybe Barry? - and several yellowing bruises scattered across his skin as her eyes trail down his back. She glances briefly at long but powerful legs before drawing her gaze up to his perfect little bottom, and finds herself tempted to see her handprints there again. Something to show that he was her's. But she'd settle for just being able to get her hands on him.

"Need me to wash your back?"

Another mumbled yes, and then she was reaching past him to grab her bodywash. She probably didn't need to press her breasts against his firm back to reach it, but it was worth it to hear Nux's sharp intake of breath. Judging from his trembling responses to her earlier touches, he probably didn't have a lot of experience with this - though he seemed happy to have her guide him. She could definitely do that. They would just go slow. She supposed jumping naked in the shower with him wasn't exactly anyone else's definition of slow, but they had already shared so many other intimacies that this seemed the obvious next step. It didn't have to lead anywhere, this could simply be another way they took care of one another.

With that in mind, she dispenses a small amount of soap onto a washcloth before running it gently over Nux's shoulders. She rubs careful circles across his upper back with the cloth, making sure to avoid any bruises, and gradually she feels him relax under her ministrations. As she works her way down his back he even starts making small noises, little sighs and almost moans. His head drops forward under the spray of water, and he presses back just slightly into the pressure of her hands. She devotes perhaps a little too much attention to the small dimples above his backside, but he's practically purring beneath her hands. He actually arches a little into her, encouraging her downward path, but she pulls back suddenly and Nux makes an entirely pitiful noise at the loss.

"My turn."

She spins around so that her back now faces him - partly to give Nux the same chance to slowly get acquainted with her nudity, but mostly to hide her grin. But dutifully he turns around, drawing in a loud breath at the sight of her. She's used to people staring at her body, but with Nux it's so very different. She can't see his face, but she can imagine the reverent expression upon it that he so often wears with her. He doesn't see her as an object, a thing. Though she certainly wouldn't mind if he was looking at her with a little of the desire he had expressed earlier. She imagines can almost feel his gaze as if it were a physical thing, leaving her skin tingling in anticipation. He mimics her touches, running the soapy cloth across her shoulders, somehow even gentler than her own hands. She presses back into his hand and he increases the pressure a little, lightly massaging her shoulders. With his other, sprained hand he once again carefully brushes her damp curls out of the way, exposing her neck to the steady stream of water. She feels the quick brush of his lips across the newly bared skin at her nape, gasping at the teasing touch. He's already figured several of her weak spots, but she can't find it in herself to mind.

He discovers another as his fingers brush through her tangles hair. She moans at each tug, and soon he has completely abandoned the cloth in favor of running both hands through her hair. He still moves his sprained wrist more gingerly but his fingers are just as deft. Both hands leave her head for just a moment and then return along with the lavender scent of her shampoo. It makes the slow glide of his fingers through her curls so much easier, and she can't stop the constant stream of noises that escape her as he begins massaging her scalp. She can't for the life of her figure out how he's so good at this, but she's not about to complain. Her eyes flutter closed in relaxation, though each gentle tug at her curls has heat pooling low in her belly. The space between them has steadily decreased since he started washing her hair, and she can feel his renewed interest pressing against her lower back. She finds herself pressing back against the familiar hardness, feeling his fingers tightening in her hair in response. She allows her head to tip back under the water, rinsing the suds from her hair even as Nux continues combing through it. Very soon she'll ask him to do this again, let him take all the time he wanted, but for now it's her turn to take care of him.

She slowly turns toward him and freezes at the look on his face. The expression she has imagined - a little reverence mixed with desire - is nothing compared to the wonder and awe she now sees. She had meant to take this chance to fully look him over, but she's held by his expression. It's almost too much. She breaks his gaze with a kiss, smiling as the water pours awkwardly between their faces. When she settles back he looks a little more dazed, and is returning her grin, and this is a look she can handle. She runs her fingers up his arms and over his chest, enjoying the slick feel of his skin under her bare hands. Nux is a little more hesitant, but eventually his hands slide around her waist and draw her more closely to him. Her own hands are now trapped between them but she manages to slip them down across his abdomen, and she can hear his breath quicken at her movements.

When her hand finally circles him she's rewarded with a deep groan. As she begins slowly stroking his heated length, Nux buries his face into her neck, alternating between kissing at the skin there and muffling low sounds into her flesh. His whole body is trembling now, and the embers of arousal that have been smoldering for the duration of their shower are suddenly fanned back to a blaze. She's fairly certain she won't come again just now, the second one always takes so much longer when it doesn't immediately follow the first, but she's enjoying the delicious pulses through her core at each sound he makes.

Nux doesn't last much longer, especially after two false starts already today. Her free hand sneaks around to grip his backside and then it's all over. He's jerking in her hand and nearly collapsing against her as he comes down. His breath comes out as sharp pants across her neck but she can feel him still smiling against her skin. His hands sluggishly move down to where she is still throbbing, but she guides his arms back around her and returns his embrace. There will be plenty of time for that later.

The hold each other there for several long minutes, until the water starts to cool around them. Capable reaches back to shut off the tap before returning to share slow kisses with Nux. They finally drag themselves out of the shower, Nux moving towards his bag and Capable forced to return to her own room for clean clothes. She quickly towels her hair and changes into some soft shorts and a tank top. It's a little sheer but she figures Nux certainly won't mind.

Nux is already in the kitchen dressed in a clean t-shirt and black jeans, as well as some socks that have seen better days, looking somewhat relieved to finally have some of his own clothes back. He looks a little more himself, and much more at home - she's already imagining how she'll clear out a few of her drawers so he can have room for his things. She thinks about having him in her bed every night, her stealing his shirts, and how much has changed since that first night he had slept on her couch with nowhere else to go. She pulls herself away from these thoughts to focus on the not-imaginary man in front of her. Nux has already managed to bring both chairs back into the kitchen from where they had talked to Max and Officer Larsen on that very couch less than an hour ago. He's seated before her now as she reties the bandage around his wrist, glad to notice that the rest of his scrapes and bruises have already mostly healed. He watches her work quietly, but something seems to be weighing on him all of the sudden.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess." He's staring at his wrist, rather than at her. She places her hands on his shoulder to lean down so that their eyes can meet, smiling to show she's not the slightest bit mad at him for this.

"You mean with Rictus? I was already in that mess before I even met you." She won't have him blaming himself for her past mistakes, or for another man's cruelty.

"It's my fault he found you, the War Boys probably knew you took me in."

"You're also the one that finally got him arrested, got Joe arrested too. Trust me when I say we're all safer for what you did." She ignores how Rictus may or may not have found her. It might have been because she brought on the attention of the other War Boys by running around town with Nux, but neither of them will probably ever know the truth. At least now it could never happen again, thanks to Nux. She hopes she can reassure him of that fact, make him realize the importance of what he has done. He stops arguing, but there is a long pause before he speaks again.

"Furiosa has me starting at Mr. Miller's in a few days, and when my wrist heals…"

"Then you'll come home to me every day, and you'll make us spaghetti or grilled cheeses when you get home first." She realizes she's never actually told Nux that she wants him to stay, even after he was better - maybe even forever. "And I'll make us dessert. Maybe something with chocolate?"

That finally earns her a grin from the boy, and she watches as his shoulders relax as if the weight on them has been lifted. She feels lighter too, knowing he wants to stay as much as she wants him be there. She finds herself unable to regret any of what has happened, since it has brought them both here. And they'll face all of the coming days together.


	9. Chapter 9

Retaliation comes more quickly than either of them had anticipated. They're heading to the diner the next day for Capable's afternoon shift, only to run into some of the younger War Boys who had managed to avoid arrest. Four of them are waiting beside the diner to ambush them, and three of them drag Nux back into the alley in a flash. Two of them pin him to the brick wall while the other boy drives his fist into Nux's stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. Capable has no time to react before the the fourth Boy catches hold of her wrist to pull her further into the alley and away from Nux. Using her free hand, she manages to dig her keychain out of her purse and aims her pepper spray directly at his face. The boy reels back from her, clutching at his face and screaming. Freed from his grasp, she rushes back over to where Nux is still outnumbered, just as the War Boy in front of him delivers a powerful blow to his jaw. She can't get at any of the others with the mace without hurting Nux too, so she grabs wildly at his attacker's arm, trying to pull him off. The boy is young, even younger than Capable, but his anger turns swiftly back on her, and she's thrown to the pavement for her efforts. Nux tries to call out to her but he's already being slammed back into the wall by the two at his sides.

Capable realizes that neither of them is a match for the War Boys' rage, and she pulls herself up to rush to the front of the diner. She bangs at the windows, hoping to draw the attention of someone, anyone in there. She doesn't stay to find out how successful her plan was, running back to slam her bag into the War Boy's head. He turns back to her once again, leaving Nux to the other two boys. He shoves her again, but this time she's prepared for it. She stands her ground, and manages a solid punch to the boy's throat.

"Fucking bitch!" He wheezes out.

Capable's victory is short-lived, however, as she's slammed once again to the ground, and a kick to her side ensures she stays down. She looks over to where Nux has somehow freed one of his arms, and is doing fairly well grappling with the two boys, but her assailant, their leader, is already heading back over to him. She won't be able to draw him off again.

Thankfully, Furiosa seems to have been alerted to the commotion and is now rushing out to the alley with Valkyrie right behind her. The boys actually hesitate for a moment at the sight of the two women, but their anger overrides their sense. Their leader goes right for Furiosa, who immediately drives her knee straight into his gut. An elbow to his back has him on the ground. Another rushes towards her but Valkyrie catches him, knocking him to the wall while Furiosa makes a beeline to where Capable is still clutching her side on the ground. The pain is dull rather than sharp, and she's pretty sure nothing is broken, so she waves Furiosa off to go help Nux. Valkyrie is pummeling one of the remaining boys while Nux faces the other, but he had already taken a beating and is struggling with only one good hand. With Furiosa's help the fight barely lasts another minute before the War Boys are chased off, tail between their legs.

Furiosa helps Capable to her feet, and Nux immediately rushes to her side to hold her up. He's not faring much better himself, but he can stand unsupported and it's enough. Valkyrie offers to take them to the hospital, or at least to rest on the couch in the back room, but Capable declines. She just wants to go home. It's all over now. Furiosa is calling Max and they can manage the rest of it themselves. And neither of them is so badly off they can't make it back to the apartment, though they don't refuse when Valkyrie suggests giving them a lift.

The short car ride back is mostly silent. Capable curls around Nux in the backseat, still a little shaken by the attack but taking comfort in the fact that neither of them is seriously injured. Valkyrie reminds Capable she won't be expected in for the rest of the day, or even tomorrow if she needs. Capable assures her that she'll be fine after some rest, and that she will check in with them later. Nux simply nods in agreement.

Leading a bloodied Nux up to her couch is worryingly familiar, though at least this time he's remained conscious the entire time. His head looks a little worse for the wear from being slammed into the wall, and the cuts on his lip and nose have been reopened, but nothing appears to be broken this time.

"They were just pups, really." Nux offers as Capable wipes away the blood which has thankfully already stopped flowing - a few butterfly bandages are all that's needed this time. "They did what they thought they had to, they won't come back again."

She's relieved that this might truly be the end of it, allowing herself to release the breath she has been holding and some of the tension she held with it. Now her only worry is taking care of the boy in front of her. She finishes applying his bandages before stripping him of his shirt to check his ribs. But as she's prodding his chest he gently halts her, taking hold of her wrists in his own hands. He turns them to reveal where they were scraped up by asphalt, blood and grit still sticking to her palms. He takes the wet cloth from her and sets about carefully cleaning each hand in turn. He is quiet and thorough, cupping her small hand in his larger one and softly dabbing at the scrapes. When he finishes this task he draws each hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss over each palm. He does the same to the scrape across her cheek, and the one on her brow that mirrors his own, pressing his lips against each injury. And it's completely ridiculous but somehow this makes each wound almost magically better, or at least replaces the hurt with a pleasant warmth in her chest.

Capable returns this treatment, brushing her lips across bloodied knuckles and at the edge of his bandaged wrist. She runs soft fingers over the back of his skull, kissing his eyebrow and the tip of his nose before finally reaching his lips. She lingers there for several moments, feeling the rough edges of the cut contrasting with the softness of his mouth. But then he begins to move, and she allows herself to carefully respond. Nux draws her in more closely and she ends up sitting across his lap, his arms holding her in place as her own move to his neck to curl behind his ears. Despite their earlier brush with danger, there is no urgency to their kiss. Capable is very aware that Nux has been through quite a lot already, and she doesn't want to rush anything.

But then Nux playfully nips at her lower lip, reminding her that he's alright this time, that he came out of this fight still standing. The cut on his lip doesn't seem to temper his enjoyment of the kiss at all. And she's rewarded with a happy rumbling noise as she deepens the kiss. She allows her fingers to wander over his shoulders and chest, having seen only faint bruises there earlier. His skin is so warm under her fingertips, and she can't help pressing herself deeper into his embrace. But after a while she can no longer resist the urge to feel his skin against her own, and pulls back to tug at the buttons of her uniform. Nux stares at her with wide eyes for a few moments before tentatively helping her, showing further surprise as she guides him to the buttons at the bottom of her dress. They meet a little below her waist, Capable moving much more quickly than he had, but Nux is the one to run his hands underneath the fabric, drawing each side back to reveal the skin underneath. Capable suddenly wishes she had worn something a little sexier under her uniform, but - judging by Nux's reaction - polka dotted cotton seems just fine for now. She squirms in his lap as he divests her of her dress entirely, and he draws in a sharp breath at the sight - though not in a good way. She follows his gaze to where a large purpling bruise covers her side, right where the War Boy had kicked her. It doesn't hurt that much, it's just a little sore, but it looks pretty awful.

"Capable, maybe we should…"

"Keep going? I'm fine, I promise. It looks worse than it feels."

"Still…"

Capable knows her words won't convince him, so she drags his hand up to her side, placing it firmly over the bruise - and ok, ow, so maybe not her best idea, but the she hides her wince with another kiss, hungrier this time. Nux is pulled into it with her, and though he has the sense to draw his hand away from her side he does not move away from her lips. Despite the desperation of the kiss, his hands stroke gently along her back, sending a new rush of heat to pool low in her belly. She moves to straddle Nux, feeling him half hard beneath her, but this time he actually does pull back. She whines at the loss of him.

"Not here."

His words are shaky but the conviction behind them is firm. She eases out of his lap and captures his hand in her own, leading him back to her bedroom. Their bedroom. Some of their former urgency has faded as they settle onto their respective sides of the bed. Capable is glad she can lay on her uninjured side and enjoys the sight of Nux struggling out of his boots and jeans before mirroring her position. Their kisses are slow and playful again, as they enjoy the novelty of being able to explore one another at the same time. His fingers go right for her hair, combing through her curls and scratching gently at her scalp until she's nearly boneless. But she perks right back up again as his hand leaves her hair to trail down to her chest. He cups her breast with confidence this time, and she enjoys the searing heat of his palm through the thin cotton of her bra. His thumb slips up to tug at the cup and she reaches back to help him unhook it, breaking their kiss as she twists around. Once unhooked, he easily draws the fabric away from her skin, baring her breasts to his gaze. She sighs as his hand reaches to trace around the underside. His fingers then begin drawing careful circles towards the center of her breast and she arches into his touch, nipples tightening as he comes closer and closer to his goal. She gasps as he finally reaches her nipple, gently rolling it between his fingers and sending fresh a pulse of heat straight to her core. When a warm mouth replaces his fingers she moans shamelessly, grasping at his head to hold him to her chest. Keeping his mouth right where he's wanted, he encourages her to lie back so that he can bring his free hand over to her other breast, bracing himself up on his elbow. He alternates between the two until she's shaking beneath him, squeezing her thighs together searching for any kind of relief.

"Please, Nux."

He's apparently learning, because it doesn't take much more than that before he's trailing his fingers down her belly to trace the edge of her panties. She whimpers at the tease of it, and his hand finally dips lower, only to be blocked by her clenched thighs. She slowly eases them apart to give him space, but he continues with his light, teasing touches across the fabric. She pulls his face from her breasts she finds his expression more nervous than playful, and she realizes he doesn't really know what to do. She had helped him yesterday, and he's looking to her for direction once again. She places her hand over his, pressing it more firmly over her. She moans at the increased sensation, guiding him further down to where she needs him. But soon it's not enough and she pulls her hand back to push at the barrier between them. This, Nux seems able to handle. He sits up to carefully draw her panties over her hips and down her legs, watching her face the entire time. But once he is through he can't help staring down at her. He had looked at her for only a few moments in the shower, but now he takes his time. He runs his hands up her thighs where her knees have drawn up, and she allows them to fall to the side, opening herself completely to him. His fingers once again move to where she is soaking wet, this time with no fabric between them. She can feel his rough callouses dragging across sensitive skin, and it sends little shivers through her. This time he is less teasing, more firm in his touches, though he still seems uncertain quite where to touch her.

His thumbs accidentally brushes across her clit, and her whole body jerks beneath his. He tries to draw back like he had before but this time she guides his thumb right back to that spot, guiding it in careful circles as she arches up into the sensation. Realizing that he hadn't actually hurt her, quite the opposite actually, he grows more confident in his rhythm, continuing his circles and even moving a little faster as she releases his hand. It's almost perfect, and she lets herself relax beneath his touch, making soft noises in encouragement as her eyes to flutter closed. It gets even better when he strokes another finger across her entrance, slowly nudging it inside of her. With his thumb still circling her clit, he doesn't have much space to thrust his finger, so he settles for stroking her inner walls and somehow that's even better. She forces her eyes open to look up at his face, where he's staring down at her with that expression of wonder that still takes her breath away. She can only imagine how she looks now, shaking apart with just the touch of his fingers against her.

She feels herself wound tighter and tighter at such an agonizingly slow pace that her release takes her completely by surprise when it finally comes. Nux continues his gentle circles as she comes back down, until she is finally forced to push his hand away from oversensitive flesh, drawing him into an indulgent kiss. She pulls him down to hold him to her still shaking body, feeling his hardness pressing against her hip. She tugs clumsily at his underwear until she finally manages to drag them off his hips. But he pulls away as she tries to get them over his legs.

"Wait, I don't have any…" He looks completely heartbroken as he tries to explain, and she immediately takes pity on him.

"I do. When you were working on your bike, I went to the store and…we're covered."

"But that was before…?" Now he's looking a little confused.

"I guess I just hoped we might need them." Capable is not someone who is easily embarrassed but she feels like her face probably matches her hair right now the way it heats up at her confession. But Nux is beaming back at her, clearly he had hoped for this too, and it's actually sort of sweet that he hadn't expected it. She twists around to pull the box out her nightstand while Nux makes quick work of his underwear. He's sitting against the headboard when she turns back to him, foil packet in hand. She moves up into his lap, appreciating the intimacy of the position as well as how it avoids straining either of their injuries. She briefly kisses him before trailing her lips across his jaw and neck, teasing him as he had done earlier to her. But Nux is whimpering beneath her, and she thinks maybe they've both waited long enough. She reaching between them to unroll the barrier down along his length before positioning herself over him.

Her gaze locks with Nux's as she slowly slides down onto him, his stunned expression mirroring her own. She had forgotten how this had felt, the intimacy and fullness of it, somehow even more intense because it's Nux. His hands have reached up to grab her hips but he doesn't try and hurry her, merely steadies himself. The feeling is overwhelming for both of them, and she pauses for a few moments when she is finally seated, just enjoying the feeling of him inside her. Nux's whole body is trembling beneath her and she's feels oddly powerful in this moment. She gives a tiny experimental roll of her hips and Nux's eyes squeeze shut at the sensation, burying his face in her neck. His breath is already ragged as he pants against her skin. Her rhythm is careful and slow but it's still almost too much, and she clings to him more tightly even as he's pressing her hips into his own.

She continues at this maddening pace until Nux's hands relax slightly on her hips. With his good hand he manages to slip between their bodies, once again finding the spot that had turned her into a shivering mess just moments ago. She marvels at how fast he's learning. There's not much room to work in, but somehow he manages a rhythm that brings her determinedly towards a second release. She can feel Nux growing close as well, despite their shallow movements - both are reluctant to allow space to form between them. But it's perfect just like this. It feels as though everything is in slow motion, and each small sensation is heightened. She draws Nux back into another kiss, swallowing each desperate sound he makes and muffling her own into his lips.

Capable nearly blacks out when she comes for a second time, almost missing the feeling of Nux following her over the edge. They're both shuddering as they come back down, clinging to one another as they had the day before. Only now there's nowhere else they need to be, nothing they need to take care of other than each other. Capable reluctantly eases herself out of Nux's lap but only to draw him down to lay beside her. She rests her head on his shoulder and curls up against him, the events of earlier today and any pain from her wounds firmly out of her mind. They made it through and now they're safely home, together. Sleep begins to beckon her as Nux runs his fingers softly over her hair, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. She feels Nux whispering endearments against into her curls as she slowly drifts off, murmuring a sleepy 'I love you too'.

* * *

A few days later Nux wakes them both with a grin. Today he's due to start work at the Miller's auto shop, and he's more than a little eager to get going. She'll miss having him around with her all day at the diner, but it's still a thrill to wake up together and get ready side by side. He actually has to be in before she does today, but he promises to pick her up at the end of her shift. He kisses her goodbye on the way out and it's so wonderfully domestic that she can't stop grinning all through the rest of the morning. She even finds herself inspired to bake a black forest cake to celebrate his first day at work, topping it with dark-chocolate dipped cherries.

She finally makes her way to the diner a little before lunch, finding an out-of-uniform Max still hanging around. He had been spending more time at the diner lately, sometimes even sitting in Furiosa's booth when she wasn't too busy. Capable has never seen any overt signs of affection between them, and Furiosa continues to ignore any and all questions about their relationship, but there is a new contentment there that immediately gives them away. And none of the girls mind seeing more of him around. They've all taken to calling him simply 'Max', and Toast's teasing has taken on a whole new level, if anything. But Max endures it almost fondly now. They see more of Grant as well - always seated in Cheedo's section, ostensibly working on his novel. Capable wonders how much he really accomplishes there, but it's nice to see Cheedo with someone who adores her. It's a little strange having so many men fast becoming a part of their little family, but also it's not so strange. Mostly it just gives her hope.

Valkyrie refuses to comment on Max's extended presence, but Miss Giddy voices her approval as Capable joins the two women in the kitchen. The topic then changes to Dag's garden, the first fruits from which she has brought in to share, requesting that she and Miss Goddy make something for everyone to enjoy. She sets to work on pear with gruyere and blackberry pies for the restaurant, and a sweet green tomato pie for her friends. Even Max gets a slice, and for the first time ever he actually compliments her baking. It's no more than a mumbled "'s good", but she figures that's practically gushing from the normally reticent man.

The rest of her shift passes slowly. She misses Nux's distractions, but she knows he's much happier fixing up cars than he ever was pouring coffee for strangers. There hasn't been any trouble with the War Boys since the day after Joe's arrest, but she also feels a little better knowing Nux is all the way across town, with Mr. and Mrs. Miller to look out for him. Plus, with Joe's shop shut down by the police they were even happier to take him on, anticipating a spike in business. She's looking forward to hearing about his first day, and telling him about her own, as they have done every day since he came to stay with her. Dinner comes and goes without much fuss, but she is glad to rest her tired limbs by the end of it, her mind wandering to thoughts of the future.

"Hey Capable, your boyfriend's here."

Cheedo's teasing words are familiar, but today they actually ring true. Nux's motorcycle is parked by the front curb, where he's leaning up against it in his leather jacket, looking every bit the James Dean rebel. But then he sees her through the front window and his enthusiastic wave is so very Nux that she has to hold back a laugh. She offers a quick goodbye to the other women before rushing out the door to where Nux is holding out his helmet to her. She slips it on as he settles back onto the bike in front of her. He guides her to the seat behind him, pulling her arms around his chest and making sure she's holding on tight. She presses herself against the broad expanse of his back, delighting in the feel of the engine coming to life underneath them. Nux is rumbling too, the bike almost an extension of his own body. She should probably be nervous, but she knows Nux will keep them both safe. Capable smiles beneath her helmet, hugging him more tightly to her as they ride home.


	10. Bonus Chapter: Date Night

Capable finds herself once again stretching up to reach the pink box hiding at the top of her closet. She had just received an incredibly vague phone call from Nux telling her he was taking her out tonight, and to wear the 'fluffy purple dress'. It took her a few seconds to realize what he was even talking about, not having really thought about the dress since Cheedo returned the pumps she had borrowed. She remembers it now though, the yards of lavender tulle pouring out of the crinkly tissue paper as she draws it out.

However, she can't quite imagine what he has planned. They'd been out a few times since he officially moved in with her, and Capable has to take a moment to laugh at how they've managed to do this all completely backwards. But none of their dates have been particularly fancy, a few dinners somewhere other than the diner, the occasional movie, and a rather memorable ride out to an amazing stargazing spot - certainly nothing that would require a formal dress. Instead they mostly stayed in, both putting most of their spare cash toward saving up for Capable's bakery. Capable had tried to argue that Nux should save up his money for something he wanted, but she was helpless to refuse him when insisted that what he wanted was for her to be happy. He told her he never had any real dreams before he met her, and he asked if he could share in her's. After that it had taken a while to convince a very panicked Nux that she was only crying because she was so happy.

Capable smiles at the memory, at how Nux could be so clueless and yet so thoughtful at the same time. She realizes she's still clutching at the dress rather dreamily, and feels the same rush of giddiness as when she first tried it on, imagining some ridiculous high school dance with Nux as her date. Only this time he really is her date, though the 1950s prom scenario is still pretty unlikely. Whatever Nux has planned probably won't even be particularly fancy, with money so tight and Nux not even owning anything more formal than a single pair of jeans without grease stains. Though perhaps he could have borrowed something from a friend? Several of the younger War Boys had recently made amends with Nux after cooling off, and a few had even gone to work with him after Nux put in a good word with Mr. Miller. Though she doubts his old friends own so much as a necktie between them. Mr. Miller is much shorter and heavier than Nux, so he's out too. She considers that Max is nearly his height, and has to laugh at the idea of Nux asking the man to borrow something nice (she wonders if Max actually even has anything that fits the description). But then her mind sticks on the idea of Nux in Max's uniform, and ok that's a surprisingly lovely mental image that she'll need to explore later.

Capable suspects the truth of it is that they're not really going anywhere extravagant, that Nux had just wanted her to wear the dress. She still remembers the look of awe on his face when she had first come out wearing it, the same night she had begun to realize his feelings for her, and her's for him. She resolves to capture that look again tonight, though the expression still appears quite often on his face whenever they're together, usually when she's naked. She lays the dress out carefully across the bed, the matching shoes waiting on the floor beside it as she puts her full focus into getting ready to wow him fully dressed.

Nux had told her he'd be working a little later than usual, and so she allows herself to luxuriate as best she can in the small shower, enjoying the smell of warm lavender as it fills the space. She's pretty sure Nux likes the scent as much as she does. Other than a second toothbrush, Nux's only additions to the room are a small bar of soap and his razor, and he still occasionally walks out smelling more like her bodywash than his soap.

Taming back her unruly curls is a bit more of a endeavor than she had planned for. She's never going to achieve a perfect vintage coif, but she manages to pile her curls on top of her head in an updo that would do Bridget Bardot proud. To this victory she adds painstakingly applied winged eyeliner and a pretty pink lipstick, along with matching nail polish. The only jewelry she wears is her silver locket, everything else she owns seems ill-suited for the look.

A glance at the clock reveals that she has already spent way too long with her hair and her daydreaming, and she only has a few more minutes before the time Nux has given for her to meet him out front. She spends most of the remaining time digging through her top drawer, trying to decide between good-girl cotton or black lace panties. There's no need for a bra with the dress, though she wishes she owned some sort of vintage bustier to complete the look. Not that Nux is even going to see the underpinings until they get back home, at which point she could just change if she wanted to, but she decides she likes the idea of the black lace hidden beneath all that pastel sweetness. She slips into the dress and finds herself once again unable to resist twirling the skirt a bit before she slides on the heels. All in all she's very satisfied with with the results, ignoring the not-quite-matching purse she grabs on her way out the door.

Nux is already waiting for her outside, and she appreciates the way his jaw nearly drops at the sight of her. Though she imagines her face bears a look of surprise as well. Nux is dresses as he always is, in his jeans and leather jacket (though at least everything is clean), but tonight he's traded his motorcycle for a cherry red Bel Air convertible. Capable is still learning about cars, but the winged trim on the tail fins is pretty distinct. And it's also incredibly sexy. Nux is leaning against it now, trying his best to look cool despite the wide-eyed expression on his face and the fact that he's clearly revved up about the car.

"Nux, where did you even get this? You didn't steal it from some poor old guy, did you?" She teases, though she's certainly past playing it cool herself.

"Got it legit. Promised Mr. Peterson I'd give her a tune up no charge if he'd let me borrow it for the night." Nux is grinning now, and she can finally understand the vague call from the shop, as well as his late hours today. She remembers Mr. Peterson from the diner, and she thinks she may have seen him around town in this car once or twice before. She imagines he only takes it out for special occasions. This car is certainly worth dressing up for, even if all they end up doing is riding around town.

"So where are we planning to drive in this magnificent car?"

Nux shakes his head, "it's a surprise." He then takes her hand to lead her to the passenger side, and she does her best to resist running her hands over the car as Nux helps her in. Nux himself certainly doesn't hold back from touching the car, his hands exceedingly careful for all they seem to be moving unconsciously.

As much as she loves the deep rumble of Nux's motorcycle beneath her, his solid body in front of her, she has to admit she also thoroughly enjoys the quiet purr of the Chevy's engine all around her as Nux starts it up. It feels strange to be seated so far away from him though, and so she slides across the leather of the bench seat to press up against Nux's side. He throws an arm around her, keeping the the other on the wheel as they pull out onto the mostly empty road.

They drive for a long while along the outskirts of the city, watching as the last of the sunset fades into night. There's no 1950s radio station to be found, but the dial is set to classic rock and they're currently enjoying Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run. It seems to suit the evening just as well, and she watches as the stars pass overhead.

Capable almost bursts out laughing when Nux pulls into the old Moonlit Drive-In Movie Theater. She has no idea how he even found out about this place but it fits so perfectly she doesn't even question it. She doesn't even ask what they're seeing, lets him keep surprising her. He parks their car in the back of the lot, a little behind the few other vehicles scattered about. She shivers a little in the cooler air of the evening, and Nux removes his jacket to slip it around her shoulders. He plants a quick kiss on her flushed cheek before before scurrying off to the concession stand, leaving her to snuggle into the warm leather. As much as she appreciates his chivalry, it had taken her a while to convince Nux he didn't need to pay for everything on their dates, that she wanted to treat him too. They've finally settled on a system where whoever asks, pays, and they take turns planning dates and paying for one another. So far it's worked out pretty well for both of them, and she's content to let him take care of her tonight.

Nux returns with his arms precariously piled with snacks, more than is probably necessary for two people. But with the way Nux has been eating since his recovery, and having likely skipped dinner as well, perhaps it's just enough. He makes his way through several hot dogs during the previews before slowing down to actually enjoy the popcorn and candy they share.

She really shouldn't be surprised to see the opening credits for Grease, though she can't help but laugh at the hopeful look on Nux's face. She answers the unspoken question with a smile, and his grin widens in turn. He's pleased at having chosen well, though who doesn't love this movie? It's been years since she last saw it, and she's strangely glad that the beach scene is just as cheesy as she remembers it. She wonders if Nux has ever actually seen this movie before, and her attention ends up divided between the film and occasionally glancing over at Nux's face for his reactions. Whether he's seen it or not he certainly seems to be enjoying it at least as much as she is, and she settles in to rest her head against his shoulder as they're starting up the first musical number.

She's a little startled to feel Nux's chest rumbling beneath her ear. When she tilts her head up slightly she can hear the low murmur of his voice, humming along with the boys' singing. "You know this song?"

"Doesn't everyone?" He shrugs cheerfully, and continues along with the music. Now that she's gotten over her initial surprise she discovers he has a very nice voice, pleasant and deep. She realizes she's never heard him actually singing before, but she's certain he would be great at it. Capable resolves to drag him out to karaoke one night to show him off, maybe even convince him to sing Summer Nights as a duet with her. She smiles at the idea and snuggles deeper into his shoulder, reveling in the both the sound of his voice and soft rumbling beneath her ear.

As the song finishes she plants a small kiss on his shoulder through his thin tee, thanking him wordlessly for planning this. Nux turns his head to the side, drawing her up with the arm that's wrapped around her shoulders to bring her up for a real kiss. It's nothing more than a quick press of lips at first, but it gradually becomes more. They're both more than a little swept up by the romance of the evening, and she can admit she's also a little thankful to be missing Danny and Sandy's awkward reunion. But Nux just brings up his other hand to play with the curls that have escaped the pins that hold them up, and doesn't seem to be showing any signs of letting her go.

Capable feels a little silly making out like teenagers in a borrowed car, but it seems to fit with the theme of the evening. And it's been so long since she felt like a giddy, carefree kid that she lets herself enjoy it. She's pretty sure Nux has similarly missed out on this sort of lighthearted fun based on what he's told her about his life - as well as his current level of enthusiasm for kissing her senseless.

She's glad they're parked a little way from everyone else when Nux moves down to her neck, drawing out long moans that she's worried someone will be able to hear over the movie. They've somehow moved to the passenger side of the car, Capable pressed up against the side door as Nux kisses and nips at her bared neck. She peeks up at the screen to see Danny and Sandy at their own drive in date and nearly laughs. It's obviously not going nearly as well as her's, and she slips her hands beneath Nux's t-shirt, drawing out a satisfying groan from the boy. They've completely missed "Greased Lightning" as well as the entire dance scene but she finds she doesn't mind at all with Nux trailing kisses down to where the tops of her breasts peak out from beneath the tulle.

Capable is already a little more wound up than is probably appropriate for a public venue, but she can't help the heat the pools in her belly at the feel of his lips drawing across every inch of exposed skin. She gasps as his hands join his mouth at her chest, and she's furiously checking around them to see if anyone is watching. So far no one has looked back at them but they've definitely blown past the boundaries of propriety at this point.

"Nux, please…" She manages to gasp out, and Nux actually pulls back for a second. But he's not moving back to his seat, instead he's slipping down beneath the dashboard. Despite the size of the car, it's still a tight fit for the tall boy as he crouches in front of her, a rather wicked grin plastered across her face. It's not a look she sees often, but she remembers it well enough to know she's in trouble. But even with that look on his face she's still not prepared for the moment when he ducks his head beneath the layers of her skirt, rough hands moving slowly up her thighs.

"Nux! Nux, wait! Everyone can see us!" She bats at his hands beneath her dress, tries to press her legs back together despite the broad shoulders that currently hold them apart. Nux's hands briefly pause in their ascent, and his head pops back above the folds of her skirt.

"Everyone else is watching the movie, or doing the same. 'Sides, they can only see you." His expression is that of a dare, and it manages to be even more smug knowing she won't back down. She doesn't answer his challenge directly, but she fists her hands in the fabric at her sides, and makes no move to stop him as he ducks back under her skirt. She can feel his warm breath against her inner thighs as he presses her legs wide once again, and it's already all she can do to keep from reacting too visibly. She certainly can't help the gasp that escapes her as he grabs at her hips and tugs her swiftly towards the edge of the seat. He's close enough now to sense how much she really wants this, and her face heats up at the sound of his low chuckle. His hands are running along her hips and he's obviously realized what she's been wearing beneath the dress. She thinks she hears him whisper something that sounds like 'so lovely' but then she's distracted by the feel of him nuzzling against the soft lace.

Her body is already a trembling mess as he's barely even touched her. At least her shivering can be passed off as a response to the cool night air. She presses her lips together at the feel of Nux's tongue teasing her through the already soaked fabric, not wanting to give them away so soon. It's harder and harder to reign in her expressions as Nux slides her panties from her hips, kissing at the newly revealed skin before tonguing along the seam of her. A sound forms low in her throat that she barely manages to stifle before it becomes a full moan. On screen Danny is setting up for his race against the Scorpions and Capable almost wonders if Nux had planned for this. It certainly seems that way as he's dipping his tongue into her just as Cha-Cha waves the flag. The speeding cars seem to lend a new urgency to what's happening, and she can't help the jerky movements of her hips as they shift up to meet his mouth. Nux just continues to press more deeply into her and it's all she can do to try and hang on. Her thighs are shaking beyond any other reasonable explanation, and she hopes the music is enough to cover the fractured sounds that escape her lips.

Her cry of release is swallowed up by the sounds of the T-Birds' victory, Nux's wonderful mouth easing her through it. He looks a bit too much like the cat that ate the canary when he finally emerges, still stroking gently across her legs as she comes back down. But she can't be too mad at him after all that, and offers him a satisfied smile in return as he moves back to the seat. He slips back over to the driver's side before pulling her into his arms once again, where she settles bonelessly against him. She can see where Nux is painfully hard against the fly of his jeans, but he's already turned his attention back to movie as if he didn't just go down on her in the back of a drive in.

"Good, we didn't miss the best part." And with that Nux sounds just as innocent as he ever does, despite his roughened voice and the fact that her panties are probably tucked into his back pocket right now.

"What, Sandy in black spandex?" She teases, continuing in their playful mood from earlier.

"The happy ending." Capable turns to look at Nux to see that he's smiling in earnest at the screen ahead. She can feel a similar smile taking over her own face as she snuggles back into his side.

"The happy ending's definitely the best part," she agrees, before lowering her voice to a whisper, "though I'm really starting to see the appeal of the car chase."


	11. Bonus Chapter: Karaoke!

It's rare that Furiosa will close the diner early, but Valkyrie's birthday is always a worthy occasion. The birthday girl herself is hosting a backyard barbecue to commemorate the day, with everyone from the diner and their significant others in attendance. But somehow a simple beer run turns into going to the local karaoke bar, though Miss Giddy begs off due to the late hour. Capable suspects that this was the plan all along, as Valkyrie would otherwise never have been able to convince Furiosa to come out to karaoke with them.

The bar isn't very crowded when they arrive, though there's already a group of guys onstage mangling the Beastie Boys. The entire party crams into the largest booth they can find. Capable and Cheedo are forced into their boyfriend's laps to make room, while Furiosa simply sits next to Max - there is no question of lap-sitting with them. An extra chair is pulled up for Toast and for Thrash, one of the former War Boys who's managed to worm his way into the group. He jumped at the change to come out for Valkyrie's birthday. His crush of Valkyrie is more than a little obvious, even though he's at least 15 years her junior. Valkyrie's never shown any particular interest in any guy, and certainly has no interest in some pup, but she mostly ignores his crush and treats him like her kid brother. Thrash seems content to worship her in any capacity she'll let him.

He's the first one of the group up on stage, boldly screeching out Quiet Riot's "Cum on Feel the Noise". It fails to impress but they all applaud his enthusiasm. When he returns to the table he's immediately looking over at Valkyrie with puppy dog eyes, begging for any sign of approval. The expression is completely at odds with his otherwise rough appearance, and it should look ridiculous but for some reason it doesn't. Capable wonders if that look is how all the War Boys managed to keep out of trouble for so many years. Nux has certainly perfected it, and two of his other former brothers have also managed to earn the town's forgiveness somehow. Perhaps only the youngest among them had that skill? Or at least the innocence to pull it off. All of the older War Boys were rightfully languishing in prison, along with old Joe and Rictus. Good riddance to bad rubbish and all that.

Thrash manages to earn himself a pat on the head from the Valkyrie with that look, and he accepts it as eagerly as if it were a declaration of love from the older woman. He spends the rest of the evening in a state of bliss. Toast rolls her eyes at the entire display, before turning her focus back to the song list in front of her.

Dag makes her way to the stage during the next opening, following a man singing "Hotel California". No one is entirely sure what to expect from the girl, as her musical tastes are generally rather eclectic, and her sense of humor is equally unpredictable. It's not until the chorus that anyone even recognizes the song. Capable is pretty sure Kate Bush isn't even on the list of artist choices, but somehow Dag's up there singing one of her more popular songs. Dag's voice is much better than the original, but still fitting. Meanwhile, her hands are making strange motions that might be considered dancing - a tamer version of Miss Bush's wild choreography. It's simultaneously hilarious and bewitching, just like the girl herself. The applause that follows is tempered a bit by awe.

Toast is a little more predictable, jumping in after Dag to belt out Cherry Bomb, complete with plenty of air guitar. As her friend sings, Capable grabs up the list, looking it over with Nux peering over her shoulder.

"How about ABBA?" She teases, laughing as Nux's nose wrinkles up in disgust. Capable occasionally enjoy some Dancing Queen but she knows Nux is not much of a disco fan. Everyone at the table has been taking turns pointing out the most ridiculous songs on the list, some of which end up chosen by the other patrons - much to the amusement of the entire group. Nux is jokingly suggesting some death metal song to her when she sees it.

"What about this?" Nux's gaze falls where her finger rests beside the title, and she feels more than hears what might be a choking sound or might be laughter. She's not entirely sure. She can definitely feel her own face heat up a little when she realizes he's remembering the same thing she is, but it really is a perfect suggestion. His voice is a little more strained when he answers.

"Yeah, we can do that one."

They don't tell the rest of the group what they've chosen, even when Toast comes back to the table and remarks they both look a little too pleased with their choice. Nux simply grabs up his leather jacket on the way to the platform, throwing it on for maximum effect.

With the first few notes it's obvious what they've chosen, and the whole booth is filled with laughing and cheering. Cheedo throws in a more suggestive sound of approval, knowing a little about why exactly they've chosen that particular song. Capable tries not to blush up on stage, as Nux stands beside her and takes the microphone.

 _Summer lovin'_  
 _Had me a blast…_

Capable almost misses her cue, completely mesmerized by Nux's voice. He had jokingly serenaded her before, and he's not entirely serious even now, but she's still taken aback by how lovely his voice is - deep and perfect. The rest of their friends are equally impressed, and their cheering only grows louder.

Her own voice isn't perfect, but they complement each other well. Even their outfit choices seem to fit the Danny/Sandy dynamic - her in rarely seen sundress and him in his leather jacket. She couldn't have planned it better if she tried, and she's certain she's wearing a goofy smile the entire time she's up on stage. Nux seems to suffering from the same problem, so at least they look like dorks together. And even if it's cheesy, the rest of the bar seems to be sharing in their good time, singing along whenever they need backup.

By the time they've hit the final notes the whole bar is applauding, and she takes a small bow as Nux leaps wildly off the stage. He turns back towards the stage, grinning up at her from several feet below and holding out his arms to her. She follows his lead and jumps into his waiting arms. Nux catches her easily, swinging her around before finally setting her back on the floor. They walk back to their booth hand in hand, their friends still cheering enthusiastically.

But the loudest cheers are reserved for Valkyrie, who belts out a spot-on rendition of Cher's "Walking in Memphis". Clearly this isn't her first time at karaoke, and a few others in the bar seem to recognize her as a regular. Valkyrie's attention ends up divided between her diner friends and a very attractive strawberry blonde working the sound system. But as soon as she's done singing she returns to the booth, offering no more than a shy wave to the other woman on the way.

Grant is apparently also a regular, though he's quick to realize that all of his go-to songs about bad relationships and even worse breakups - which don't really work with his dream girl currently sitting in his lap. Instead he goes in the opposite direction with his song choice, picking the sappiest duet to impress Cheedo with. She's definitely charmed by his choice, expressing her enduring love for Disney's Aladdin as well as for her boyfriend. It's more than a little corny, but Capable can't really fault them for it considering she and Nux just sang Summer Nights. Toast and Dag don't hold back though, pretending to gag a little whenever Cheedo looks away. Furiosa almost looks pained, while Max and Valkyrie take this opportunity to get more drinks for the table. Thrash scrambles after them to help.

Grant is actually pretty decent at singing, even if he's not quite Aladdin. Cheedo, however, is terrible. The rest of the girls already knew this about her, but she's never had a microphone in her hand before so it's never been quite so loudly bad. Still, they offer up their applause just the same, as does the rest of the bar - most of whom are more than a little drunk by this point of the evening. At least the following act - a painfully off-key rendition of "I Will Always Love You" - makes Cheedo look a little better by comparison.

Toast and Dag soon shift their teasing to Max and Furiosa, the only ones who have avoided getting onstage so far. "How about 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' - it's the perfect follow up," is Dag's suggestion. "Or maybe something from Dirty Dancing!" is Toast's. Furiosa is out of range to kick the girls under the table, but she sends over a fierce glare that has nearly the same effect.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of 'Tequila'." They're all a little shocked to hear Max's chuckling response, especially considering he's had fewer drinks than most of them.

Cheedo is the first among them to recover. "There's only one word the entire song! It doesn't count!" She crosses her arms over her chest, as if to show that her decision is final.

"What about you?" Capable asks Furiosa.

"I don't sing."

"Don't sing or can't sing?" Valkyrie taunts, as even Toast and Dag aren't that daring.

"She can sing." Max interjects, and then immediately looks as though he wishes he hadn't. Furiosa's glare turns back on him, and he at least has the decency to look sheepish about revealing this ability to the group. But the others have already jumped on it, coming up with increasingly outlandish stories of Furiosa's secret singing career. Eventually Max promises to go up and sing if they'll leave Furiosa alone, and they reluctantly give up their new game for the chance to see what he does.

"It has to be something real!" Cheedo shouts after him as he heads towards the the front of the room, but he just waves off the reminder.

The sound of a rather solemn guitar comes out of the speakers, with a twang that suggests a country song. The first verse comes out entirely mumbled, but steadily Max begins singing a little more clearly. His voice is rumbling and pleasant, and the song is surprisingly sweet.

 _I promise you for better or for worse_  
 _I'll stand by you as I did at the first_  
 _And when you're in the winter of your years_  
 _I'll be right by your side to dry your tears_  
 _Yes I'll be the same through all that we go through_  
 _I promise you I promise you I promise you I promise you_

The girls exchange several look, half shock and half delight. Johnny Cash suits Max perfectly, though they never would have expected him to choose this song - it's practically a proposal. Capable certainly wouldn't say no if someone sang this song to her, and all eyes are on Furiosa to see how she reacts. But she's ignoring all of them, her focus clearly on Max alone. Her expression doesn't reveal much, but it's definitely softened from her previous scowl. Each of the girls is more than a little enchanted by Max's voice and his lyrics, and it's impossible for Furiosa to be entirely immune. But they never get a chance to ask what she thinks - she's up and heading towards the stage just as Max is singing the final notes. The two of them are lost amidst the crowd's response, disappearing from the bar entirely. Valkyrie just smiles at their escape and no one worries too much about their sudden absence. Max's singing was probably the most public sign of affection they've seen from either of them, and they likely want a little more privacy now.

The rest of the evening is spent watching as the increasingly drunk patrons sing more and more ridiculous songs, occasionally daring a second go themselves. Capable simply enjoys watching everyone else. She's curled up on Nux's shoulder now, imagining this night as their big musical finale. They've certainly found their happy ending.


	12. Epilogue

Mrs. Green's early retirement had taken everyone by surprise. At the time, Capable had saved up nearly enough money to put a downpayment on the old tea shop and the adjoining apartment, but she was still a few months away from being able to actually afford it. Thankfully, Mrs. Green had been very understanding (as well as eager to move nearer to her grandchildren). Nux and Capable had been allowed to move into the larger apartment a little early because of this, which enabled them to lease their old place next door to one of the new girls at the diner. With this - plus a little extra help from Furiosa - they could now afford the shop as well.

Mrs. Green had mailed them the keys almost a week ago but today is their first chance to really take a look at the place. Between getting settled in their new apartment and taking on extra hours at work, they've been forced to wait until they could take a day off.

Capable is currently debating how they should first enter the future site of her bakery. They could, of course, go around to the front to get the full effect, but they also now have the option of taking the hidden staircase that connects their new apartment to the shop. Nux finally solves this dilemma by leading her down the quickest route - the back stairs. The door opens out right behind the counter, and she can look out into the whole shop as she will be seeing it from now on.

It's a bit overwhelming, finally having a bakery of her own after so many years of dreaming and saving up. She's thankful for Nux's solid presence at her side, and the broad hand that steadies her own. The reality of it is finally settling in, along with the gradual realization of how much they still have left to do. She takes a deep breath before turning back to Nux with a reassuring smile.

"It's absolutely perfect. Just a bit…dusty."

This isn't entirely unexpected, as the tea shop has been closed for almost two months now. And the old-fashioned decor certainly adds to the appearance of neglect. The kitchen, at least, is thoroughly modern, and seems to be in better shape than the rest of the place. They'll still need to install a few more specialized appliances, and remove some other unnecessary ones, before she'll be able to do much baking. Nux is already moving aside old tea containers, shuffling them on to an out of the way shelf to see how much space they have.

"Don't worry, I think we can have this place all shiny and chrome in a month or so." The shelf creaks distressingly under the added weight. "Maybe two months."

Capable starts thinking about when they're going to find time to do all this - especially when they both still have full-time jobs. And they'll need to keep working in order to afford all the new equipment the bakery will need. So fixing up the shop will need to happen in their spare time. It'll be an exhausting two months, but between them they figure they can just about manage it.

"I guess now is as good a time to start as any."

* * *

Nux begins tackling some of the dusting while Capable gathers up a rather alarming number of doilies. The place is looking far less stuffy already, even though the newly revealed surfaces do look a little worse for the wear. The furniture is all pretty sturdy at least, and they can probably salvage it with a good sanding a fresh coat of paint. Just about everything in the shop needs painting. Moss green walls might work well for a tea shop but it's not a great color for serving pie. Dag has already insisted that they paint the bakery mint green to keep from clashing with her hair. They've all been planning this for years, so it's not entirely unexpected when Dag and Toast show up at the shop, armed with paintbrushes - though Capable still can't help feeling amazed.

"But it's your day off!"

"Yeah, which means we get to spend it however we want." Toast retorts, shouldering past her.

"So we're here to help." Dag follows swiftly behind, 'hmm'ing at the walls.

"Well, I don't know if we're quite ready to paint yet. There's still a lot of cleaning to do…"

"Oh don't worry, we've got that covered too."

Dag nods towards the sidewalk outside. Valkyrie and Miss Giddy are making their way over as well, equipped with more than the necessary amount of cleaning supplies.

"You guys too?" Capable is already overwhelmed with gratitude for her friend's help, stunned that they would want to spend their day off doing more work.

"We all agreed to help you get started. Did you really think we were going to let you do this all on your own?" Dag responds, trying to shrug off Capable's profuse thanks. She does, however, allow Nux to pull her into a tight hug, though Toast's glare keeps him from trying to hug the other women. Even still, it takes several minutes for their excitement to wear down, and for any real cleaning to get started.

With all their help it takes almost no time to get the room clean enough to begin painting (mint green, of course). Capable pauses each time to welcome the others as they join them. Grant comes along with Cheedo, bringing an old-fashioned cash register as a shop-warming present. It's so adorable it almost looks like a toy, but apparently it's set up for modern commerce. Furiosa and Max come bearing gifts as well. Furiosa hands over a larger version of her old mixer, insisting she'll be Capable's first customer every morning. Miss Giddy has already told her the roadside diner wouldn't be the same without her pies. Max brings over several bread shelves he's built himself. The two of them immediately take over the task of fixing up the rest of the furniture, including the unstable kitchen shelves. Some of Nux's friends even show up after they get off work to help with any mechanical repairs that are needed.

* * *

Capable isn't entirely sure who started the paint fight, though she suspects it may have been Dag. It's fortunate that Furiosa and Max are still outside sanding down chairs, otherwise there would probably be blood splattered alongside the mint green. Cheedo's hair is almost completely covered in paint, and Capable now has a large stripe down her front, courtesy of Nux. She gets her revenge when she manages to smear the paint across his chin and cheek, giggling as she accidentally catches his lips with the pastel color.

Miss Giddy just smiles at their antics. Toast and Dag keep painting ridiculous things on the dark walls before they're painted over, occasionally obscene but mostly just silly. Valkyrie flings paint at both of them after her and her girlfriend's initials end up drawn into a big heart.

Capable's response of "I think it's sweet" only earns her more paint flung in her direction, but she can see where Nux is addining a smaller version of their own initials into the doorframe, where it won't get covered up later. He's trying to do it sneakily though, so she decides to 'find' it later when they're finally alone. Perhaps when every surface isn't covered in wet paint, and they can properly christen the new place. She shakes her head to clear out the distracting thoughts. Right now they're surrounded by all of their closest friends, and even though there's more paint on them than on the walls, Capable can't find it in herself to mind one bit.

* * *

They manage to get through half of their to-do list on that first day alone. After that, at least one or two of their friends stop by every day until the place finally starts looking like a bakery. Between all of them it only takes two weeks, rather than two months they were expecting. All that's left now is to finish stocking the place. Once they have approval from the city, they're set to open as early as next week. Following, of course, a pre-opening thank you party for all of their friends.

Today, they've given everyone else a day off from helping. It's the first real moment they've had to themselves since they started this whole project, and she's glad to finally have Nux to herself for a little while. Besides, there's not much else to do other than tucking away some leftover supplies - a few pieces of unfinished wood, a couple extra chairs, and several half-full paint cans. Nux is trying find a place to stash one of Mrs. Green's little antique dressers when Capable stops him.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's pretty fucking lovely." He grins, setting down the dresser to look around the finished room. It's not exactly where she was going with this but she looks around too, admiring the new chalkboard menu they've set up, the little vases of flowers on each table. It's starting to look like a real bakery now, just like she had always pictured it. But in all her dreaming she had never fully imagined the family she would find on the way here, or how important they would all become to her. And speaking of which…

"Actually I was thinking maybe we could take some of these to fix up the spare room upstairs?"

"Sure, make it like an office for you."

"Well I was thinking something more like a nursery."

Capable tries to announce this as casually as possible, though it's a little nerve wracking when Nux just stars back at her. But then he's rushing to take her in his arms, grinning wildly as he spins her around. It reminds Capable of the day she had finally asked him to stay, the way he looked when he realized he had finally found a real home, that they both had. And now their little family is about to get bigger, she can recalls that same feeling. It feels a lot like hope.


End file.
